Continuing along with the theme of my Keipo-eaten sandals, and true to my husband's word, last night we went looking for some new ones to replace my favoured old ones. We did, in fact, find a pair with which I bonded almost immediately and which fit the requirements of the job description, so I parted with a little more money than I would have liked to and they made their way home with us.
This morning I decided to put them to use on Keipo's morning walk, particularly since our path was muddied by last night's falling rain -- and off we went! Unfortunately, at about the halfway point of our walk, I began to feel a slight discomfort on my left pinky toe and my right big toe...but there was naught for me except to push onward towards home. And, of course, as I quit my new purchase upon entering our house, I was greeted by two newly-formed blisters.
Aarrrrgh!!!!
Whether this is a lesson in forgiveness, in flexibility, in generosity, in patience, in responsibility -- or all these combined -- and despite how "little" an issue this may, in fact, be, it seems I will be working this out so that the lessons can work their way into my life and who I am. And I do desire to be more easygoing in matters such as this, so I will also be using my husband as a case study. :)
And now, to share some things which I have already internally processed, and for which I am grateful:
1) VantagePoint3 -- A few years ago now, I was blessed with an invitation from a good friend of mine to participate in The Emerging Journey stage of VP3, "a lifechanging discipleship and spiritual formation process" which took the form of meeting with a group of 11 others on a weekly basis for 8 months. It was nearly the equivalent of taking another university course, and from the outset the VP3 materials make it clear that there is a significant commitment required on the part of each participant as far as the time, effort, and energy needed fully to contribute to and take advantage of this discipleship course. It was to be a year of even more growth and depth than I had imagined, and it truly has impacted my life. It had me asking more questions and seeking out more answers, looking at the true character of God and of myself, and working out how it is that God and I can work in tandem if I am open to what God presents to me. Much of who I am today -- at least, the positive side of me -- has been shaped by what I learned with the fellow disciples in VP3, and I would love to share the journey with others!
2) Laughter -- Is there any sound more pleasant? Of course, there are a few people on this earth who bleat out obnoxious sounds where there should be a melodious laugh, but, on the whole, laughter brightens and cheers, and brings two people or a group together. And I am so glad that my husband and I laugh often and deeply, enjoying the sheer pleasure and hilarity of any given moment!
3) "Pink Coffee" -- In mid-2009, when my nieces had just turned 1- and 2-years old, and I at the time working at Starbucks Coffee Company, I was preparing for one of my frequent visits to my sister's apartment after work. Each time I went there I brought her a different beverage -- hot, cold, espresso-based or not -- and, each time, the girls wanted a coffee of their own. So I was ecstatic the day it occurred to me to bring them each a kids' steamed milk with some raspberry syrup so that they could enjoy their own "coffee" along with their mommy. And it was a hit from the get-go! They still talk about "pink coffee," and my husband and I have enjoyed introducing them to the world of creativity through beverages. And now that we are living in Central America, my eldest niece is convinced that I just don't get to come visit her because I have to spend so much time working at Starbucks! Ahh, the life of a child!
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