Fireworks From The Rooftop

Always, we've been able to watch our town's fireworks display from our sunroom windows. Well, often it's been just me watching, alone, because usually Tom has to work graveyard shift on the Fourth of July. Or it's been me with a cat beside me.

This year was supposed to be one of those rare, gleaming 4th's which Tom was going to have off from work, but we got a call early in the afternoon--someone was sick, could Tom come in and work the graveyard shift?

I will spare you my biting words of disappointment. 

We'd been ready to head out the door to go to our old-fashioned theater to watch Cinderella Man. Instead, Tom had to go to bed and sleep away the afternoon. On normal days this is hard enough, but on holidays, it's nearly impossible for this Pollyanna to handle that stuff with grace.

Well, Pollyanna failed that test. And that's sad, because the day didn't turn out badly at all. Tom went to bed, yes, and I hung around feeling sorry for myself, ok. But then Naomi came over later and I got Tom up and by phone we discovered he wouldn't have to work the whole night--just 3 a.m. until 7 a.m.. And so the three of us sat around the dining room table and had one of the nicest talks we'd had in months--

--and after Naomi left, Tom went to get the two of us movies and dessert. Surprisingly, he was able to find the old classic, Double Indemnity, which months ago, Hollywood Video told us they didn't have in stock--but they had it yesterday. Tom had never seen that movie and I only vaguely remembered that although I'd hated the ending, I'd enjoyed Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck and their over-the-top dialogue.

After the movie ended and Tom said he'd been pleasantly surprised at how good the film was, the fireworks outside our sunroom windows began. Tom said, "Hey! Maybe we can watch them from the roof this time." Yes! For the first year, those windows which stretch across the top front of our house belonged to me, not Naomi--they are the windows of my dream room. 

So we ran upstairs, into my hot, darkened room and then threw open one of the small windows. And this was no easy task--we each squeezed through and on out into the black night--out upon roofing shingles like the world's best sandpaper.

What a view! Much better than the one in the sunroom below us, what with trees partially in the way. We sat there watching the bright exploding colors before us, telling each other how much better this was than fighting all the traffic surrounding the park where the fireworks originate. And this was sweeter, as always, just watching fireworks from our own home--this time upon our own roof.

And I sat there next to Tom feeling sorry about the way I'd handled the disappointment of the early afternoon. I should have known that God would come through for me and turn this day into something just right. And man, I apologized to Him for doubting His ability to redeem a day-gone-sour. 

I was sorry I'd acted like I used to almost constantly ten years ago.

And, sitting up there on the sloping roof in my black skirt and bare feet, with sweat dripping down my neck, I knew that some review lessons on handling disappointment are probably heading my way. Hopefully I will pass those upcoming tests.

It was even harder squeezing back into my room though the little window when the fireworks ended. But the show had been worth every bit of the trouble to see it. 

The night, the entire day, had become one to remember.

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"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" ... Genesis 18:14