Today...not tomorrow.

I must have sat there for 5 minutes.  Starring at the pepper shaker.  Just a couple shakes of flavor left.  Hmmm.  What to do?  We would need to buy a 95 cent jar of pepper to get us through the next 3 months till we leave.  I know, I know...not a big deal.  But we would only use a fraction of it and then try to pass it on to someone along with half used bottles of salad dressing, ketchup and pickles.  That or toss it guiltily in the garbage.


A departure date is on the calendar.  From that day we've counted back.  Days for traveling to the airport, then back more days to move furniture, then more to stay with someone while we pack.  Sigh.  The leaving-soon cloud is on my distant horizon.  We have already started to pre-pack, as I call it...really just purposeful organising and tossing and sorting. Knowing the more we do now the less stress later.

I find myself going down that dreaded road again....the worry, the dread. The tomorrow road.  The cardboard boxes are still folded flat in a neat pile on the garage floor and yet I am already wondering about our stuff.  Stuff to store.  Stuff to pack into suitcases.  Today's stuff = tomorrows's hassles.

These months in the middle of our home assignment are the best.  We feel settled and daily life is in a familiar routine.  We almost feel, well....normal.  Ohh, whoo!!  I love to feel normal.  But it will too soon end as we tackle what is to come.  Another trans-continental move.  Another upheaval for our feet and for our hearts.

I stop myself.  Before I even turn that corner that God wills and wants, I have to stop and today  choose joy and thanks.  Choose trust and grace.  My Thankful-Journal overflows with today's blessings.

Big, life-consuming blessings like:
A house.  Happy and adjusted kids.  A Godly man with a kindred-spirit that I can helpmate.

And little, often-forgotten blessings like:
Cups of tea.  Chats and laughter with friends.  Blue skies. Cozy fires.

The list goes on and on.  With each scribble of my pen, my notebook fills and so does my heart.  Fillings of comfort and peace and happiness.  Fills with today's blessings.  All here.  All mine.  Gifts from above given not to last forever, but to last for now.  For today.  Worry and dread are lost in the pages of thankfulness.

So disappearing pepper shaker, I can handle you.  Half empty jar of jam?  No problem.  We've got you covered.  Today you'll spice and sweeten.  Tomorrow, who knows! But today I will give thanks and dwell in these moments of life, that are full and rich and overflowing.