Finding Yourself, Finding God, Finding Peace

So. Did I mention that, later this year, Tom will most likely take a business trip to South Africa?

Yeah crazy, I know.

But he's excited and that's fine. Yet lately, people (not Naomi) have hinted that, really, I should travel to South Africa with Tom. "The chance of a lifetime!", they say. "It would be amazing. It would be incredible, fantastic and fun."

Well, uh, no it would not.

Why not? Because good ol' Debra hates flying, has 0 desire to visit foreign countries and she'd  be bored silly sitting in a motel room ten hours a day alone. I could sightsee around Africa, you say? Yeah, right!  I can totally see introverted, homebody-lovin' me doing that.

This is what I choose to see, instead: I see me painting our bathroom, while Tom's away, as I've meant to do for months. And the last two walls of our living room. I can see me playing with our cats and caring for them, rearranging furniture, relaxing with God out on our front porch. And walking to nearby stores and the riverside park. And visiting the library, a few yard sales and coffee shops. Mowing the lawn, paying the bills and just basically holding down this fort which God has given us.

Before Tom accepted this new job I made him understand this: Any traveling would be done by him alone. This would be his thing, not mine. If a trip sounded interesting to me, I'd consider tagging along, but he'd better not hold his breath.

Tom accepted these quite clear conditions before he signed on the dotted line.

Hey. I am 54 years old and I know what I want, what I like and what I hate. And that's how it should be. I believe any of us who have survived this long deserve to make some decisions of our own and to skip doing what we're not created to do--and dare I even say that's called obedience to God? For I've also seen that when He asks us to do something, He sends along the Grace to do it... and Grace brings along lots of sweet willingness.

So today's lesson? It's probably not wisdom to go around trying to talk people into stuff they just don't want to do. They know themselves better than we do and forcing others into doing what we like, but they hate,  only causes a bunch of uncomfortable feelings.

What sounds wiser? This:

"And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own business, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you..."   ... 2 Thessalonions 4:11

And if I sound a tad cranky today, please forgive me. Sleeping in a recliner is rough, especially when goofy things happen outside, like, three girls playing volleyball and talking loudly at 1:30 in the morning... But there's only two more recliner nights to go. :)


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Oh! We're having glorious mornings with breezy sunshine and just a nip of autumnal coolness. I sit on our porch gazing at the old houses around me and think of days gone by and ones to come. Happy sigh.

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Oh! Did you know that all of the Boy Meets World episodes are available on YouTube? (I was super-thrilled to discover this bit of info.)