You Can Begin Again

"God delights in turning tragic endings into new beginnings." This is the theme of the book my mom set on the end table yesterday as I sat with my head propped on my hand. She had come to do some much-needed housework for me, which I'm usually pretty reluctant for her to do, as she's busy enough helping everyone else. But truthfully, I needed the company. I had had a really bad day on Tuesday and I didn't want to be alone Wednesday. I even asked her to do the kitchen floor instead of the bathroom so I could visit with her. Sneaky me. 

When she first set the book down I assumed it was about starting some kind of mid-life career after the kids move on, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is much better than that. 

It is more about how we just get close to our goal or our prize and whammo! The worst happens, and we have to start over again. It could be a financial disaster, health crisis, accident, pretty much any of life's little shockers that throw us for a loop and leave us lurching for awhile. 

I think of that word- lurching. Do you remember those awful carnival rides where the seats kept swinging back and forth out of control, sometimes taking your stomach and pocket change with it? What stopped the lurching? Usually it was the kindness of a person who reached up with two strong arms and grabbed on until the seat stopped moving, reassuring you until it finally stopped.  How I loved the sound of the bar lifting up to free me from that torture! Still not a fan of carnival rides... 

Who stops your lurching when you've just gotten the shock of your life? 

Psalm 16:8

I have set The Lord always before me. 

Because He is at my right hand, 

I will not be shaken. 

That's who stops my seat from flying off the rails, so to speak. And thankfully, God has equipped my husband wonderfully to take care of me, and stop those lurches in the physical realm. 

I finally have an appointment with my doc tomorrow afternoon and I hope I get some relief/guidance. My girls have their spring concert on Sunday and it would break my heart to miss it. It's been 3 months of pretty much going from my chair to my bed to an occasional short term outing. I hope to get some explanations for why I'm suddenly feeling like a nursing home resident at 44 years old. In the meantime, I'm reading the book, mom!