It’s been a few days.

I’ve been thinking.

Pensive little Steph has had thoughts but no words.

I’ve arrived. I’ve arrived at this place of familiarity. Elated like a little girl in her favorite local candy shop, my smiles soon turned into squeals, the squeals then progress to laughter and the laughter producing tears of unknown feelings.

“Yesss!!!,” I exclaimed!

9 months later and I was FINALLY HOME!

As I’ve ventured through this transition South away from the familiar and into the somewhat “unknown”, I had little time in life’s chaotic ways to ever process the deep longing inside to simply be home. Before the blink of an eye, nearly a year had passed since I had taken a journey back home to the roads that endured my innumerable days and years of pensive thoughts. I smelled the cool, crisp air once more and it was like getting of whiff of Mom’s perfume each morning as she gets ready for work. Ahhhh, it was so familiar as it swept across my nose. I saw faces that gave me feelings of love, security, & support.

This week I’ve been absent in ways but so present in this current moment.

I was reading this morning in my devotional and a portion jumped off of the page and slapped me in the face. Perhaps this will ring true with you…

“The truth is that self-sufficiency is a myth perpetuated by pride and temporary success. Health and wealth can disappear instantly, as can life itself. Rejoice in your insufficiency, knowing that My Power is made perfect in weakness.”

Not So Convenient Inconveniences

Life has its way of making itself so greatly inconvenient. 

Take for instance a little thing I'd like to call Mr. Frog. 

Somehow he found his way into my gated apartment complex, around the bend and then around yet another, up three flights of stairs and into my door out of all doors and then all the way down the hall, under the one inch crack of my bedroom door, up upon the bed and HOP right on into my throat. Why he chose my throat out of all throats to select? I'm not so sure. You'd think he'd pick a throat with slightly smaller tonsils so that the means of entrance would be a bit more simplistic. But nonetheless, he chose mine. He was however nice enough to enter gently, allowing me to rest and not announce his arrival until early this morning. Mr. Frog has so kindly warned me that he may be taking a more leisurely vacation; this is no weekend getaway. So just like when Aunt Loretta comes in town with her bad mood and throws you for a loop, so has Mr. Frog's surprise visit. 

I was tempted to stay in for the day and ward him off with many home remedies but I just couldn't let him ruin my day. 

Oh but his unplanned visit is only but one of many of life's not so convenient inconveniences.

I'm tempted and taunted each day by the choices of which to choose to make my inconveniences my excuse for a bad day or make them the very reason to create opportunity for growth. 

It's like the battle you have with your mother as a kid when she tells you as you're bullied in those awkward middle school years to, "be the better person". Well let's just all be honest for a second...who really enjoys being the "better person" at times in life? Sure it seems noteworthy and admirable but in the moment, it can make you look like a coward or weak link. Sometimes fighting with life's inconveniences is much easier at the moment than surrendering to its control. Though we must never believe that it truly controls us. Letting go of the grip on dictation of one's life is not giving in but giving it up to a solution much more effective and in the long run rewarding. 

I'm not sure how it started with a frog in my throat but I was just reminded of the little things in life that we let overtake us while missing valuable seasons when growth is at our fingertips in the testing of our patience.

Top of my to-do list for tomorrow? - Let the not so convenient inconveniences conveniently bring about growth in my life. 

Take that, Mr. Frog!!! ;)