Always another way to see things... Forerunners

This time, it is with my one good eye and my other, very fuzzy and painful eye.

Really... just a few random notes that I will probably delete later so you don't all realize I am utterly and completely whacko, er I mean abandoned in my love for Abba.


Tonight, I took my two young sons and went to an engagement dinner for their favorite babysitter.

It was held at a kid friendly place with yummy pasta at 7pm. For those of you that know me... my boys are usually in bed or almost in bed by 7pm. But we love this girl and well, wouldn't have missed it.

We arrive, the seating is two very long tables in the middle with booths around. The girl and new guy! are sitting at the far end of a long table, by the booths. I decide that is far enough away from people moving about to sit both boys and still be close to favorite sitter girl... besides, about half the people are there and already sitting in closer booths and at long tables. We sit. We hug a few people on our way to sit, and a few hug us as they pass by. We know just about everyone, we used to be involved in same church with them all. Everyone kindly asks where is Chris and Caity? I reply "at his weekly worship set and at Camp for 3 weeks". People move on.

I sit with my boys. A few people looking for seating, pass us by as a good choice to sit with and sit else where. I try to not let this bother me... I do have kids, most of them don't or have too many to join us at our booth. A few could have easily shared our space.

Moving on, everyone arrives and by now boys are hungry and restless, but still fairly well behaved and I, well, I am sitting BY MYSELF with these cute adorable and hungry coloring playing with play-doh boys.

Did I mention that small was eating a chunk of play-doh and then randomly munching the ends of crayons the rest of the time...mmm.

My booth has the only two available seats. Everyone else is together and having adult conversations, even mixing it up to sit with others and just talk. I have known 3/4 of the crowd for 4-7 years... yes, really. Still, I sit with my boys... and try to not notice or be offended in any way that no-one is sitting or dropping by to talk.

I tell the hostess, we will be leaving soon, small is restless and hungry and it will soon be time to go or I will be facing a meltdown of small but of epic proportions. Hostess says, please order your food and take it with if you feel you need to go, we understand.

Eventually, two people are very late and HAVE TO sit with us. They are grandparents. They are used to small children, but don't really know mine... have not seen one in 3 years and never have met the other. Small talk it made, pleasant enough.

My small one is way too hungry, way too tired and really just needs to go home.

I let the wait staff know... I need the food and containers for the food... blah blah. Food is brought... WAAAAYYY TOO HOT for small or medium to eat, matter of a fact, small is THROWING his food, at the good grandparents I hardly know and suddenly...

Medium has to go, RIGHT NOW... so, unbuckle small, (note; to grandparents credit, they offered to watch small while I left, but anyone knowing medium and small right now knows, those boys will not have me more than 3 feet away from them, not sure what that is... but okay)

I gracefully decline, explaining smalls particular separation anxiety would have a SCREAMFEST of the century before I made it to the end of the tables and so I dragged both boys into the womens bathroom... where medium promptly goes in to the big stall, by himself and then needs me to help... and oh does this end?

After some soapless handwashing (no, we cannot use public soap, it causes our hands to break out) we head back to the table, where I gently remind the wait staff I need TO GO containers NOW...

and once they are filled, and I have, I am certain made the BIGGEST UNINTENTIONAL SCENE of my LIFE... trying to carry small, direct medium and carry a purse, diaper bag and bag of presents from favorite sitter plus that bag with our dinner in it... then oh, my gosh, medium takes 5 minutes to say one sentance to our hostess - not noticing my hands are precariously full, because come on, he is only barely 6. I try to stop him unsuccessfully and get OUT THE DOOR intact with out dropping small or anything else... (no one offers to help... what is that? and only 2 people really acknowledge I am leaving)

I was able to try and excuse myself by simply stating it was waaaay past babies bedtime and he was trying to start the food fight of the century (only completely one sided with these genteel grandparents) - and really spoke to or was spoken to by no one else... besides the wonderful girl and new guy and her mom and dad, of course.

Did you get all that. Unbelieveable.

I am extremely grateful that my best friend was available by phone for that tearful call.

I am utterly and completely something walking out the door, with hurt feelings that no-one would sit with me to eat and feelings of how terrible I am at parenting these precious sweet boys with out my husband helping me or even sissy to help... I cannot take the boys to a restaurant. ugh. Okay, so, really, I cannot take the TIRED boys to a restaurant, when there is so much going on.

But ... another way to see things goes like this...

Shake the dust off your sandals and move on...

No one at the restaurant, even the people you used to "be the church" with, want to share a table and eat with you.

Shake the dust off your sandals and move on...

That is a point my friends... a prophetic point worth looking at with both my eyes. - or all 3.

Really, what does it say when we are eating the bread of life and people do not want to partake of it with you... what does it say when we are the forerunners of a praying lifestyle and people do not want to share in that meal?

Shake the dust off your sandals and move on...

I get it my sweet Abba, and thank you.

Beauty for Ashes. You are the reason I live, I live to worship only You.

Oh, and small (16 months old), once again... grabbed both my hands once his food was before him, to receive blessing for that food, what he simply calls "Amen". The food had been corporately blessed earlier. And he proceeded to eat it with his blue teeth.

Now THAT is a forerunner for a lifestyle of prayer AMEN.