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Janine Claire Robinson
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Welcome to my little writing corner. I count my many blessings to be a cherished wife and an ever-learning-loving-growing mother to 3 amazing children this side of Heaven and a precious little boy in Heaven. Together as a family we pastor a precious church community called Redeeming Hope Church. I've had the privilege of loving and following Jesus Christ since my earliest memories as a child. No matter what I've gone through in life, He has always been so present. At heart, I'm an encourager ... so this is a place where I get to wear my heart on my sleeve and share my journey of learning to live a life of love in action.

One of those "Pear Shaped" days ...

Oy!!! I don't know when last I had one of these whoppers of a day like I've been having today! You know those ones where half way through you are wondering why in the blue blazers you decided to get up?! Yip. It's been one of those for me. Just to give you a taste ...
1) I went out to breakfast with a friend. Each breakfast choice I picked, apparently they weren't able to make for me. So when I finally found something they could make for me, imagine my shock-horror when my plate of scrambled eggs arrived with a pile of lettuce on it to "replace" the other foods that they had unfortunately just realised they had run out of! LETTUCE!!! With eggs?! I kid you not!!! Mwah ha ha. Funny now, but I cannot say that I was giggling at the time! I promptly removed those crazy greens off my breakfast plate :0)
2) As I got home (in the rain) I realise that I was parked outside of my own gate! My darling hubby had arranged for the fumigators to come today and they parked me out ... so now I had to park outside and run up the long driveway in the rain in my highest of heels! (What was I even thinking when I put heels on today!) So I get inside feeling mildly irritated (ok - maybe not so mild ... maybe a dash or so more) and the house is dripping in whatever they just sprayed. That's the moment I realise that they sprayed all our beds too! So now I'm looking at the weather and wondering what we are going to sleep on tonight because there isn't a ray of sunshine in sight to dry the beds in time, so I go into my room to put the fan on as an attempt to dry it out. That's the same moment the fumigating gentleman breaks the news to me that he has accidentally broken my plug trying to get the fan on! What the heck??? How is that even possible?! He managed to somehow snap off one of the pins on the plug?! I didn't even know that could happen! Well ... I wish I could tell you that I was kind, compassion, understanding and a whole host of other Jesus-charactersitics that I really do aspire to. Instead I glared at him and asked how on earth he managed to do that? Poor man didn't have a word to say. So I let him go with a mumble under my breath. (And yes I do still feel really bad for being such a grumpy old dragon to the incredible-hulk who managed to break the plug).
3) After finally buying a new plug, having it replaced and fetching the girls I came home hungry!!! So I decided to make a shake. Yip. I know you are probably thinking ... "No!!! Not one of those blender disasters!". Yip!!!! My kids will testify to the joyous moment when I poured the milk into the jug, only for all of us to watch it run right out of the bottom of the jug and all over the counter and floor. Some dear person (who shall remain nameless) never screwed it on properly!!! Oh man! Everyone around me took a step back and watched to see if this mount-mamma was about to blow. Let's just say that my face was a lot redder and the steam was building, but I managed to keep my not-too-nice thoughts in my head. It was touch and go whether they were going to come tumbling out when one of the girls asked why I was in such a bad mood!
This was the moment that I decided to take a step back and go back to the last thing that God spoke to my heart. "BE STILL and know that I am God".  (Yes - I am STILL on that and very much having to learn how to do this "still" thing ;0) But here I am ... sitting back and breathing deep and just allowing  myself to find the humour in all those little "foxes" that have been trying to steal my joy today. Looking back ... they just give me a funny story to tell and an opportunity to see some places that need a little more growth in my life. So awesome how when we do allow ourselves to be still with God, He is able to shift our perspective. 
Today I am choosing to pick myself up off the 'feeling-sorry-for-myself' floor ... receive forgiveness and grace for my ugly attitudes, say a little sorry to my girls for being grumpy and choose to surrender to God to take hold of a better afternoon ;0) 
Here's hoping that you are having an even more fun day than mine so far <3
Janine xxx
ps - OH MY WORD!!! Just as I was about to post this, I pushed the wrong button and lost half my post! I just sat there and chose to laugh!!!!!!! And then I discovered that our puppy chewed up a vital piece of my vacuum cleaner! I'm not laughing just yet ;0) All this in just one priceless day. Just another opportunity to turn this pear shaped day into something I can laugh at for days to come! Forget about turning lemons into lemonade ... I'm transforming bottom-up pears into pear pudding!!!!    

Comments

Unknown said…
You're so funny my friend. I has such a laugh reading it cause I know you all too well. You're my hero.
Xxx
Lori said…
Awww, Janine, that sounds like one CRAZY day!! I hope that things got better--at least a little bit but hopefully a lot! I confess I am bug phobic so basically I was cringing at the first mention of the word "fumigator"--but the rest of your post made me smile because I think we have ALL had those kind of days unfortunately. Here's hoping your weekend is a whole lot better! Hugs!

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