Everyday struggles, an Easter re-cap.

The premise

So, this morning I was a bit stressed due to restless sleep, & an "early" morning. I wanted to make sure I took some pictures of my brother-in-law's baptism, so I was on the hunt for the camera. Considering our camera setup is pretty expensive, it's usually close by; a table, counter, etc. So, when I was having trouble finding it, I automatically figured Laura had left it somewhere obscure. I later found in a box in the back of the van. It had been there about a week. Now, if you recall it's been pretty cold this past week, with the temperatures hovering in the low 30s. I bring the box in from the van that housed the camera, in addition to a slew of other objects. I had to remove 2 64oz jugs of juice & Laura's watermelon plate.

With the frustration of my expensive camera being subjected to a week of cold weather, looming over my head, I aggressively unpacked the camera from the depths of its cold crate. I tossed the jugs of juice, some papers, & of course, the plate on the floor...crash!

I think, unenthusiastically, "uh-oh, a plate broke." I didn't realize how important the plate was until Laura came in with an "Oh no! My watermelon plate!" But instead of apologizing, and admitting that I was a jerk, I played it off like it was cold, & under the heavy juice that caused it to break.

Now, there may have been some truth to conditions (cold, under load) with which the plate broke, but that didn't excuse me for tossing it out of the box onto the floor in a huff.

The baptism

I get out the camera to take pictures & it fogs in the humid, warm, pool atmosphere. I complain to Laura about its condition, & she tells me to hold it under the hot-air hand dryers in the locker room. Brilliant! It works.

Dinner

Laura slaves over a hot stove, barefoot & happy. Her family is together for the first time in a long time, laughing & having a good time. All without any arguments, or ill-will. This is a sight to be seen.

She gives me a card that references sunshine, butterflies, "you" (meaning me), and how "God makes the best stuff ever."

Dinner's over & I'm having trouble with the Netflix website. I'm huffin' & puffin' about Internet Explorer, & Windoze Media Player. Laura encourages me to call Customer Service. I hate calling C.S. with any company. They always talk to me like I'm an idiot. Most of the time I just want to tell them, if they'd only use open standards I wouldn't have this problem.

I call them, & I think they fixed the problem (I'm waiting for this 'fix' to work right now).

The Moral

Her words are absent, but I know in my heart that she has forgiven me for the plate. In fact, she has forgiven me for a lot of asshole things I've done. I will still ask forgiveness, but I feel at this point, it's just a formality.

On the surface she seems like an ordinary woman, but beneath the surface, she's constantly sacrificing herself for her family & being a huge encouragement to me. She's so awesome that I can really only attribute her greatness to God. He's using her all the time to teach me things. I can't help but look at her & thank God.