When Life Gets Sour - Dip it in Chocolate!

Poor Dad. I received the distress call Saturday night. Dad was heading downstairs, gliding down his chair lift, as was his usual routine, with cup of tea in hand.

As he began his descent, what lay before his eyes was a sight reminiscent of Noah and his big boat. Flood waters. And this was no damp carpet fiasco. There had to be four to six inches of water slurping its way around Dad's downstairs finished basement and bedrooms. Hip waders were the required footwear.

After a frantic call to the insurance company, I high-tailed it to London. My sister was there consoling and trying to help Dad make sense of all the nonsense by the time I arrived, thank goodness. Apparently rain waters had filled a window well and the drain was unable to keep up with the torrential rains that bombarded this particular area of the Forest City. Dad's house is located on a considerable slope so he is often the recipient of water and run-off, but this nasty mess sure took the prize.

I laugh at life sometimes. Every year I make it a point to buy the perfect agenda so I can plan and organize and get things done. But life interferes with my good intentions. Whether it's cancer or new babies, flooded basements or unexpected surprises life plays out according to God's agenda, not ours. I often wonder if I was intended to walk down the 'cancer' road because before that I was relatively healthy and could face the day with all the enthusiasm of Spiderman and Superman combined. Now I am lucky if I can even crawl out of bed some days let alone leap small buildings in a single bound!

I find myself now being more empathetic to those who face trials and I have learned the importance of slowing down and truly listening to the heart of others instead of just the words. Stopping to smell and appreciate the dandelions and the daisies has caused me to take life less seriously and receive each breath more gratefully.

God equips us for matters beyond our control - I really believe that. He teaches us valuable lessons about life and if we choose to listen and obey, then He shows us how to cope.

So here I am, still in London, trying to sort out things and attempting to help Dad restore normalcy to his life. (It's quite a challenge as giant fans and imposing dehumidifiers drone on day and night.) But this too will pass...

Like I keep telling my Dad, I am glad that I am just here trying to sort things out from a purely material perspective. It could be worse. I could be sitting at his bedside holding his hand after he had a heart attack or something equally as devastating. We are contending with things that can be fixed! For that I am thankful. I am counting blessings once again. Thanks God for helping us through this one, too! In a few days I will return home and seek out my agenda. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt if I prayed a little before I flip to the next day. :)

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And I don't know what's wrong with me...It's midnight and I am craving chocolate. But they say chocolate has a calming effect. Maybe that's the issue. Life is sour, so bring on the chocolate. Life really is good.

May your day be a sweet one tomorrow!