In the Blink of an Eye

In the blink of an eye, or a least in the quiver of an eyelid my dog Charlie was let out of her kennel, was in between my hubby and I and snuggled under the blankets with my neck as her pillow. She was so happy. She is a simple dog, feed her, love her, play with her and let her snuggle in and she will love you until you come home from work in scrubs. Then all bets are off.

In the blink of an eye the weather in the southern part of the state I live in goes from beautiful, warm, sunny days that beckon you to go do something, anything really outside. We woke up this morning to 18 degrees. I have a blanket on my bed that is so heavy when I try and pull it up to the headboard in the morning (to just make my bed) I have to be careful not to punch myself in the face if I accidently loose my hold on it. My sweet hubby decided one day to dig it out of the hope chest so that we could have some extra warmth. You guys, this thing is a homemade quilt he made with his grandma that is all denim. It’s the original weighted blanket. Add flannel to the mix and you do not move, but I stay warm, and for my hubby if he doesn’t have to listen to me whine about being cold he’s happy.

In the blink of an eye an illness can escalate to hospitalization and worry as family watches their loved one go through tests and scans and all sorts of procedures to find out what happened. It’s scary and when the person gets to go home the worry doesn’t stop, but the joy of going home helps ease the load somewhat. Over the last week there have been phone calls and texts from different people and families telling of worrisome illnesses and problems that need prayer. As the recipient of the calls and texts you feel somewhat helpless in what to do. If you believe in the power of prayer (which I do) you continue praying. There is a sense of wanting to do more physically though. Bringing food, holding a hand, watching a child, something to ease the load for the person going through the ordeal. In a blink of an eye, all the things that seemed important in the moment get shoved aside to try and help the person in need.

In the blink of an eye, the leaves fall the Christmas decorations a put up, the baking starts and people start to realize how close the holiday is and how little they have prepared themselves for it. I absolutely love the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. I absolutely hate having to shop for them. Thanksgiving is easier of course because it’s about getting the right sized turkey and making sure we have a paper bag big enough to cook it in. Christmas though, the whole meaning of it seems to get lost in the commercialism of it. I am not going to get on a soapbox other than to say this. Spend time with your loved ones, instead of stressing out over the matter of what to get them. I can’t tell you what I received as gifts over the years as much as I can tell you about the trip to California with my family, the snow sledding day we had last year, the day we spend going out to the woods to get the Christmas tree. Material things will get forgotten, memories and the joy of time spent with loved ones will last.

In the blink of an eye, the year flies by, the kids are a year older, the grey hair has decided to show up again, the car starts acting weird, the pumpkin you have been trying to use up finally gets used. How are you dealing with the happenings of life? Do you stick you head in the sand (like I have wanted to do so many times), or do you face things as they come. Do you enjoy the moments, the snuggles the playtimes and the “real talks” with your teens? Do you worry and fret, or do you pray and continuously hand your worries over to the Lord. In the blink of any eye, can seem so quick when you look back, when you are in the moment it can seem like an time stands still. For joyous occasions what a joy to have time stand still, stamp those memories in your heart and use those times for when the soul needs rest. Until next time:

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great JOY for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.
Luke 2: 10-12