Snow Week!

This has been a very weird week in Southeast Oklahoma.  The weather is frequently the topic of discussion, and Oklahoma weather is typically fast changing, often going from one extreme to the other.  In the past week, we have barely made it above freezing.  These frigid temperatures, combined with sleet and snow, have effectively shut down our little town of McAlester.  

I have had a wonderful week - it was absolutely beautiful!  School and work was closed for four days, which translated to all seven of us being home together. The best part was that we didn't lose power - how awesome is that?  So, I feel like I had the best of both worlds - all of the modern conveniences, combined with a winter storm which resulted in an unplanned "stay-cation" with the people I love most in this world.  

So, I have spent the past six days cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry.  I have been lazy.  I have taken naps, stayed up late, slept in, watched movies and read two books.  I have bundled up kids, warmed hands and feet, made hot chocolate...  We have spent the last six days in our own little world.  Yesterday the temperatures climbed above freezing, and the thaw began.  The roads became passable, and with that began our slow return to usual routine.  

Isolation is a funny thing - for some reason, the more I isolate myself, the more difficult it is to get "un-isolated."  When I try to avoid the outside world, I lose focus.  Reality and truth becomes blurred with justification and rationalization.  

Today is Sunday.  My soul was beginning to crave that fellowship with my friends and church family, but sometimes that selfish part of me creates conflict within.  I awoke this morning, and had fleeting thoughts of continuing my isolation one more day...  in the back of my mind, I heard, "stay in your pajamas, stay in bed...  it's wet and messy outside... just one more day of doing whatever Stacy wants..."  

Emma woke up, and the first words out of her mouth were, "Is today church day?"  Bless her heart - God was using this little person to gently remind me about what I needed to do in order to stay on course.  We all got up, got ready for church, and arrived on time (this is a major accomplishment!).

I often hear the wisdom, "Do the next right thing."  This used to be a source of confusion for me - I would spend so much mental energy analyzing, planning, reviewing, trying to control things that were beyond my control.  Slowly, surely, with His guidance, I am learning what this basic instruction of "do the next right thing" means.  For me it usually is something as simple as putting one foot in front of the other - sometimes it's actually starting, and moving out of the planning or procrastination phase.  Today the next right thing was getting up and going to church to fellowship, feed my soul, fill my spiritual needs.  God always gives me everything I need, if only I ask.      

I am so thankful that if I can just concentrate on doing what is right in front of me, doing the next right thing, God takes care of everything else.  Serenity - pure and simple.