So Play It Back In Reverse

I feel like I'm falling behind.
But I don't care.

The one thing I really came away with from Albania is a sense of peace. I know, crazy when compared to some of the moments on that trip, but I felt like everything slowed down. Not in the creepy-time-warp way, but in the
I didn't put as many expectations on myself. I let myself relax.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That's the blog I started at 2:15 this afternoon before I rushed out of Faye's house (where I was house-sitting) to check the "hidden" schedule at work, pick up a shirt at my house, fly to WS for APNC, dash to Albania Debrief across the parking lot and whirl down the stairs to a presentation about the trip. Now in the midst of that, I got an "urgent" message that I needed to call Jake on his cell. Fearing some overly-dramatic emergency had taken place, I quickly called him back. Really, he just wanted me to work tomorrow at 6.

He also mentioned that he had tried calling me at the Serene's and talked to Faye. At the sound of her beautiful name, my brain flew into panic mode--yet again. They weren't supposed to be home until tomorrow. I hadn't picked up--I left dishes in the sink, my homework was strewn across their table, I hadn't plugged the ethernet cable back into Gregg's computer, on and on.

Now, this may seem a bit 'over-the-top' or so. Especially considering the current state of my room is styish at best, but I take care of peoples' stuff. They were home and their space was not in the way they had left it. I had failed.

I spent the rest of the presentation bouncing my knee, eyeing the clock, waiting to make a mad dash out the door. I get an e-mail from Jake: "Sorry. Need you at 5:15. Hope u get this!" Amp up the anxiety just a tad more.

It ends. I make my way out of the sanctuary--casually saying good-bye and cracking sarcastic jokes to the high-schoolers. I get in my car, put on decently easy-going music and do my best not to speed to Faye's. I get there. I can see her in the window, washing at the sink. I knock on the door. Henry barks, Faye answers.

The smile on that woman's face could calm the freaking stress out of anybody, let alone, KL the 'J'.
She had moved my stuff from the table and counters and put it all together on the couch, Gregg had washed the dishes, both were in great spirits (though I think the freshly washed wine glasses may have helped a bit in that department).

We all talked about our weeks and how things went. I told them about missing the border to Canada and Faye showed me a video of her and her neice laughing (she says we still win btw). I pack up all my stuff and leave with a renewed sense of peace, even though I'm calculating the amount of sleep I'll get once I finish reading about Soviet Russia as I drive the short distance home.

I hardly get in the door when my mom says there's someone on the phone for me. I heave my shoulders thinking Oh God, what now? Thankfully, it's a voice I love to hear, Michelle. She tells me they figured it all out with Nicci and to disregard the e-mail from Jake, I don't need to work tomorrow. Even though I could use the money, it was such a relief.

I also believe that it was such a huge blessing and "I've got you're back, kiddo" on God's part. He once again showed me that he has an amazing sense of ironic humor (one of my favorite kinds!) being that I had started to write about how I've been trying to slow things down and take life easier, especially on my own personal expectations and then everything just snowballed out of control and he just took the lead and showed me he was looking out for me the whole time.

Kinda sorry this is so long, but I've heard it said that if God does something for you and you don't proclaim his power and awesomeness, then you've kind of failed on his part. "For his namesake". That's what it's all about. So put your left leg in and shake it, especially when he demonstrates his power and love for you, his child.

Off to read about the history of the Soviet Union (joy),

-KL