ON PARENTING : Grace to carry on

I went to the gym this evening with a generous dose of excitement; it had been some days since I had last had an aerobics work out and I looked forward to a good sweat and a good steam bath before heading home for some much needed rest.

Before that I had braved the traffic and driven home with the children like a mad woman hoping I would quickly get their supper ready before dashing out. It did not matter that I was late, I was certain the little of the session I would grab would be good for me.
Then I rushed to my locker only to realize that my gyms shoes were missing. It did not take long before I figured that someone in the gym had actually helped themselves with my shoes….without my permission, of course.

There are those seemingly small things that can make or break ones back and for me this did it. I sat down and looked at my gym shoes which someone had quickly removed and put at my feet…they were still warm. The logical thing was for me to pull off my socks, wear my shoes then go have my work out.

As I sat staring at the shoes though, it was like all the life and excitement had just been rudely snapped away from me. I had not the slightest desire to bring myself to walk into the remaining part of the session. I guess what this did to me really was to bring all the crumbling cards of my weary life tumbling down.

Today was one of those days when I was particularly feeling weary; physically weary after days of continuously working hard; weary of picking and dropping children to and from school…especially that this is the last week of school; weary of intelligent children whose grades are not so intelligent; weary of trying and more trying.
So, the last thing I needed was for someone to “borrow” my shoes without informing me, or rudely snatch away the work out I had been looking forward to the whole weekend.

That small act had been the last stroke that broke my already weakened camel’s back so as I picked up my pieces and quietly went home, I quietly and earnestly prayed that God would uphold me so that I do not pour my frustrations on my two children waiting for me at home; I prayed for grace, grace and even more grace.
Grace to be gracious to two little ungracious human beings with an ungracious and totally weary mother.
jmabola@yahoo.com