Stuck in the Daily Commute...

Ok...so this morning the drive to work was off to a great start. Nick is getting better at becoming a morning person (well...after I shake him for five minutes he's up and moving anyway). But the drive was going well, I was making good time, and then...traffic on a four lane interstate at 65 mph came to an abrupt halt. First of all, they have been re-paving Hwy 99 for well over a month now. I often wonder how it is that my tires are still holding up. I have acquired chip #9 in my windshield (after going through at least one windshield a year, I am determined to get my money's worth out of this one!) and I think that once the road is complete I am going to visit the chiropractor and send Cal Trans the bill. :)

So I hit a traffic jam, approximately 10 miles from Sacramento. At 7:30 I am sitting in my car, crawling at less than 1 mph. I look ahead and can see the skyline, thinking to myself, "That's where I need to be. THAT'S my destination. At this pace, it will be noon before I make it to work. What could possibly be holding up traffic? If I parked my car, I could walk faster than these cars are moving!" Then a Harley comes blasting between my lane and the next. "Jerk! Here I am with nowhere to go, and this hot shot can move right up the middle without losing any valuable time..." Then I glanced at the skyline again...I want to be there, not here.

And so I sat. I looked to the west, at the airport and watched planes taking off, destination unknown. "A vacation would be nice..." I grabbed my camera, thinking I would try and snap a picture of the miles and miles of headlights that were behind me. "Now if I did that, the guy in the car next to me might think I'm one odd woman..." And then I glanced to the east. "Gosh...for as long as I'm going to be sitting here, a decent sunrise would help pass the time..." and that's when my eyes fixed on two herons soaring over the rice fields, which would have been a GREAT picture, but I was so deeply in awe at following the movement of their wings that my brain stopped functioning. I've never really watched a heron fly, and I haven't the slightest clue as to why I've never noticed them before, but they are the most graceful birds I think I've ever seen. It was literally as if they were "soaring"...not doing much work at all. They flew with such grace and beauty. At that moment, I decided I could be stuck in traffic all day and wouldn't mind at all.

My life moves a lot like this kind of morning. Stuck in traffic, knowing where I want to go, where I "need" to go but not having any other option than to sit...and "wait." Off in the distance I can see the destination, but I can't reach it. "Yet." It's not my time...

A little over a week ago, I was chatting with a girl from the church on facebook. I inquired about a possible "relationship" interest that I had caught wind of. As my luck would have it, she responded by saying that it never really took off and just prior to me asking about it, they had decided that it wasn't the right timing. She is 18 years old, he is 19. I have known the two of them for years, and have ALWAYS thought highly of him...and I have ALWAYS commented on the beautiful girl she is, and what a perfect catch she is going to be for one lucky man. They both have a solid relationship with the Lord and would be absolutely adorable together. And then I was so proud of the fact that these young adults could come together in a respectable way and mutually agree that the timing wasn't right. I know that decision doesn't make them feel that much better, but it is SO commendable to those around them. Teenagers can "get it" ...why, at times do I fail to do the same?

I absolutely adore this girl. And at the end of the conversation, she thanked me for being who I am, and mentioned that she admired me... I wish Nick were a little older! :)

Sometimes I think I'm about as messed up as they come...but most times, regardless of being "messed up" I am so blessed to be where I am.

I love kids...I love mentoring, and I love caring for the younger ones. Tonight at church, a girl had made me a beaded bracelet with a heart-shaped charm that said "I am Blessed" on one side and "Faith" on the other. I will cherish this bracelet for the rest of my life.

I am truly, truly blessed. To be plugged in to a church that has such a passion for the youth. To be given the opportunity to pour part of my life into the lives of kids that are accustom to living lives of addiction. Blessed to have the opportunity to look at a parent in the eye and say, "You have an amazing kid!" I don't think life gets much better than that!

So why not take in the beauty that surrounds me? Sometimes I forget...and sometimes, thankfully God sends me His subtle reminders. He knows the desires of my heart and He knows the destination I'm heading to. And by His grace, He gives me blessings of encouragement and beauty to bask in while I'm stuck in the commute...