I was walking to my car after running some errands the other day and had to pause to find my car in the parking lot. There happened to be several other white SUVs very similar to mine. It took a few seconds and then, there it was, easily recognizable as mine. Not because of some cute vanity plates or license plate frame.
I recognized it because of the smear of bird poop on the back windshield. It had been there for days and was worse now because I had tried the old windshield wiper and fluid trick; it was not successful. Instead, it just made it bigger.
All I could do was smile in that moment because I realized my poop smeared windshield was sort of resembling my life.
Not that my life is, pun intended, crappy. But rather in the way of right when my life is seeming to be calm or organized or, dare I say, just like other “normal” peoples lives, boom, something happens. Just like poop on a car.
Every Sunday my husband and I do our best to get ready for the week ahead. We both work full time, and our kids are go-go-go most days after school with extra curriculars that we drive them around to or coach them at (my husband, not me). Getting organized for the week is critical.
This consists of things like getting the laundry done, meal prepping, which to me is more just making sure I have the ingredients for what we are going to eat that week and ideally wash things like produce. I like to make my lunch and my daughter’s lunch for the first couple of days of the week so it’s ready to roll in the fridge.
My husband vacuums my car pretty much every Sunday. He runs it through the car wash when it gets dirty. He constantly fills my cup through acts of service, my love language.
Once the week gets started, I like knowing I did all I could to set us up for success. This helps because sure enough some sort of wrinkle always presents itself. Lately, this seems to be happening more than I recall in the past.
It could be that extra challenges arise at work or one of the kids is having trouble with a friend or a certain class. It might be I realize we bit off way more than we could chew for the schedule but now have to try to keep commitments.
Regardless of how much I organize and plan and think I have conquered a Sunday; by Thursday I feel defeated a lot of the time. Sometimes even by Monday afternoon if I’m being honest.
Just like bird poop, you can’t always predict when your day will turn from “I got this” to “I don’t got this”.
There are seasons of life where we all may feel this more than other seasons. For me, I am feeling it heavier than usual right now.
Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path. (Psalm 142:3)
Sometimes laughter is the best remedy and relief for me. I think the Holy Spirit was at play with this whole bird poop situation. It struck my attention at the exact time I needed it and was the precise thing I needed. Who would have every thought bird poop could do such a thing?
My car has since been washed, thanks to my husband. My white SUV again looks just like all the others. Just like my household on Sundays. We look like we are ready to conquer the week. Until the car starts driving or the project becomes bigger or the problems appear when we were not ready for them. You can’t always see it coming.
Can you relate? We’d love to hear!
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Read more of Stephanie’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
