Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Bend and Stretch

We had it all planned out.

Supper out at Pizza Delight, then stopping in at Dairy Queen for an ice cream cake and opening presents after cutting the cake at home.  It was a good plan, fitting for a young man's 20th birthday.  After all, 20 is a big deal.

But the problem with that itinerary was that Mother Nature had other ideas.  School was canceled, then work, and before long it became clear that nobody was going anywhere. 

So I had a choice.  Put off the celebration until another day, or change the plan.

Putting it off to another day would have hurt the young man's feelings. So ... since I was home anyway, and there was an unfrozen, uncooked roast in the fridge ... I changed the plan.  We let the birthday boy open his gifts this afternoon so he could have more time to enjoy them.  Then we watched a movie with him that he got as a gift.

And less than an hour ago, we feasted on slow-cooked roast beef, gravy, butter and oregano whipped potatoes, baby carrots, and the pièce de résistance - a chocolate cake (made from a mix, mind you) iced by me and decorated by our daughter for her boyfriend.  

Did he have a great birthday celebration?  Yes. Did he feel loved, cared for, important?  You bet!!  Was it what we planned or counted on?  No.  Will we still get the ice-cream cake we ordered but which we couldn't pick up from DQ?  Yes - tomorrow. Did I get all stressed out because of the change in plan?

No.

This is one of those times when I can really tell how far I've come in my recovery the last couple of years.  Two years ago, a setback like this - a simple change in schedule - would have thrown me into a tizzy because all my carefully laid plans would have fallen into the water.  

Today it didn't even flicker my needle. I learned how to bend.  

There are still times when I realize that I have far to go.  But today - God opened the door a crack and let me see a little of what I'm becoming, and I know that it's only because of Him that I have been able to stretch this far.

It feels good.

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