Sometimes a day doesn’t go as planned

It's Friday afternoon. School let out early, and two of the children joined a family from our church on a trip to Daviess County, Indiana. Daviess has all sorts of fabric stores and convenience stores that cater to Amish folks and their way of life. After their shopping, they plan to go to Dinky's Sale Barn, where over a dozen auctioneers will be selling everything from household goods to outdoor tools and animals and fowl of all sorts.

I miss the children when they're gone, yet it allows me to pour my energies into those remaining. I eagerly thought of the afternoon before us. The ideas of what we could do stretched on endlessly. At the lunch table, I told Austin I would like to help him dig the old wiring out of the trash pile where he had burned the outer coating off before recycling it. Recycling was a hobby of his, but with all the rewiring in the shop, the project was bigger than he anticipated. I told him I'd be happy to help him cut it up, sort it (I need some training myself first!) and get it ready to haul off to be recycled. "I prayed for sunshine so we could work outside," I told him.

Jesse has a bow that needs to have the draw length shortened to fit his eight-year-old stature. I told him it may be a good day to take it to the Wengerds' bow shop and see if we can get his bow adjusted so he can shoot it.

I sent Austin to the buggy shed to get out the little green wagon we use to hitch up our little pony, Tizza. Since the wagon had a flat tire, I told Austin to ask Uncle John what it will take to fix it, in hopes that we could use it to go to the Wengerds.

I relished the thought of what came next — a nap! Or so I thought. It wasn't long before I realized that just because there are fewer children in the house doesn't mean there's cause to be slack. I sat on the couch and spent some time with one who needed some assistance. I closed my eyes for a moment. Self-pity knocked at my door; I couldn't fight it off on my own, so I silently thanked the Lord for the trial. He took the burden for me. Though I still didn't have the answer for the child, I knew there was One who did, and He would lead the way.

Some time later, I found myself between the covers. It was delicious. As I wakened from the short nap, I heard the soft whisper within my heart: "He giveth more grace when the labors increase …"

"He knows what I'll meet next," I told myself.

I greeted my four boys, who were now quietly playing in the living room.

In the kitchen, I warmed some milk to add to the shot of coffee a dear friend had dropped off for me to make a latte. "Maybe this will be a nice boost," I mused. Somehow I could hardly get myself with-it enough to step up to the plate of duty for the rest of the day. In an attempt to cheer myself, I thought of the possibilities of what all we could do together, and maybe even get some housework done if things went smoothly. I fleetingly thought of the column and how my editor really needs to have my recipe by now. "I simply am not in a writing mode," I politely excused myself.

I poured my steaming latte into the paper cup where the coffee had been, placed the lid on top, and turned toward the freezer where I was fetching an energy ball to go with it. It really seemed too luxurious to be realistic. At that moment, I managed to bump against the lid and sent my precious latte across the counter, down over the front of the cabinets, and onto the floor. I grabbed for the cup, retrieving at least some of it. Seizing the pan on the stove, I held it in front of the counter top and succeeded to save a bit more. In the process, I burned my finger on the hot pan. Had this just happened?!

First, I grabbed a rag and made an end of the mess as quickly and practically as I could. In the meanwhile, I told the Lord I'd go write if that is what He has for me to do on this afternoon I had so carefully been planning for the greatest potential while I have the four remaining children. The novelty of having something to go with my latte had diminished as I headed for the office with a little less than half a cup of latte in my hand. I would do without.

So, in case you thought our home may not be as "real" as yours, I just blew that idea. I don't know if any of our plans for this afternoon will hold out or not, but you know, it'll be okay. There is a God in heaven who knows what is needed for this day in a way that I could never know on my own, so we'll just stay in step with Him and see where He takes us!

Be blessed and have a great Friday afternoon!

I'm back. It's getting close to bedtime. Nice. I like that feel of another day done. The afternoon proved to be a good one, though it held nothing I thought it would. We did get to stop by the neighbors, where I was served a nice serving of cheesecake — lemon at that. Mmm, wish I could press a button and share it with you all. On the pony cart on the way home, I told the Lord I'm ready to just have Him plan my days and let go of all my so-called bright ideas. His outshine mine, anyway.

If you need something for supper on one of those days that have been rearranged multiple time, try this simple soup. Honestly, I have a hard time following instructions when making soup, so I just toss in whatever I may be hungry for, or any leftovers that could be compatible with it.

Ham and Cheese Soup

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

4 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 cup chopped onions

3/4 pounds ham, cubed

2 cups cooked potatoes

1 cup cooked carrots

1/2 pound melting cheese

Melt butter, keep heating until butter turns nice and brown. Stir in flour. Add milk, seasonings and onions, stirring well. Boil for 2 minutes. Add ham, potatoes and carrots; heat and serve. Be careful not to boil after cheese has been added.