There are no "sick" days on the road

Pin It Doesn't it seem like disaster always strikes at the moment you finally have everything together?  There we were all packed up and ready to make our short one hour trip to stay overnight before giving our presentation the next day.  The boys were calmly listening to the Focus on the Family cd of The Magician's Nephew instead of complaining or crying. 

Then to make the trip even sweeter, the youngest fell into a deep sleep which promised a good night's rest for all.  We stopped at McDonald's for a Happy Meal making my older son happy beyond belief at having yet another cheeseburger for dinner.  All was well in Pardineland until we were five minutes away from our destination. 

FIVE MINUTES!  We were so close.  I could almost taste the victory of an uneventful trip with two toddlers in tow.  Alas, my feeling of triumph was short-lived.  As we turned off the highway, our younger son woke up, coughed twice, and became violently ill all over his car seat.  If that wasn't bad enough, the last thing that he had had to drink was bright red Kool-aid!  What happened next would have been hilarious to watch on a sitcom, but in real life it was nothing to laugh about. 

The next hour was a blur as I tried to drive the last few minutes while directing my husband to make sure the baby wasn't choking.  He was perfectly fine, did not cry at all, but just sat there covered head to toe in red yuckiness!  Then we arrived at our overnight location where a loving couple came to our aid with quick access to the prophet's chamber, towels, running a bath, and throwing the car seat cover and clothes into the washing machine.  We were amazed and grateful to see that besides the car seat very little needed cleaning inside the car. 

So Sunday morning our family was divided as I stayed home with one son, and my husband took the other to share Peru in a church about 20 minutes away.  Even though I had the day off from ministry and was in full mommy mode, I used the time to continue my study of God's Word in I John.  As I sat on the sofa with my 22 month old climbing in and out of my lap, Chapter 2 verse 28 was an encouragement to me, "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." 

God knows the ordeals we go through every day and how they literally absorb our time.  He knows how our best laid plans are often interrupted by rambunctious Turbo Tots.  I am thankful for the moments that He slows everything down and my focus is turned to Him.  When I abide in Him, I have confidence to face whatever comes my way, be it a wrench in my perfectly laid plans or a chance to share His goodness with someone else.  What do you do when everything else goes wrong?  Abide!