February 1

Yesterday was hard. Without going into details, I'll just say that adolescence is difficult and complicated and, at times, heartbreaking. And it's all of those things and more for the mom who has to watch it all unfold.

So after all of that plus a night that featured a string of vivid dreams that made me feel like I hadn't slept at all, I was tired when I woke up today. And truthfully, I was also extremely grumpy. Last night's pounding rain continued into daylight and I was just tired and frustrated and sore (thanks to my arthritic knees) by the time I arrived at the Mother Ship for my daily fuel-up. 

And it was then that the day began to turn around.

I squeezed my SUV into a too-small spot (because, Grumpy Me grumped, people shouldn't park on the space lines like the two cars on either side of me had. So I stuck it to both of them by parking between them. Never mind that I wound up having to climb into my own backseat to get out of the car). And then I looked up and spied an amazing rainbow that arched across the entire sky. It was so vivid and beautiful that I stared at it for a full minute. In that moment, it felt like God was reminding me that things will be okay.

A few minutes later, after securing my caffeinated gold, I chose a seat at the high top table (because a group of young moms had usurped my usual spot. When I saw them, the message of the rainbow that I'd just seen started to fade.) I felt the my inner grump again rising to the surface until Winnie spoke to me from a few stools away. I'd never met her before, but Winnie was an impish, princess apparel-clad 4-year old little girl who decided she wanted to chat with me. So she did! And even though I was initially annoyed that she was at my table, I wound up thoroughly enjoying the conversation with her and her mom, who joined us (and Terry) after she'd made her way through the purchase line. So that was yet another blessing. And I even remarked to Terry that the experience was just what I'd needed.

As if Winnie and the rainbow weren't enough, I had a third blessing appear a few minutes later in the form of Tina, my friend and the kids' and teens' director at church. I asked her if she had some time, and we sat and talked for probably an hour before she had to go. And it was so, so good to be able to share and offer each other advice and support. 

So yes, yesterday was hard. Painful, in some ways. But this morning reminded me of a few important truths. First off, God cares about my struggles and is with me through them. And second, He's faithful even when I'm not. The gorgeous rainbow should've been enough of a reminder, but He made a statement by sending me a rainbow, a 4-year old, and a good friend to hammer the point home. That's pretty amazing, if you ask me.