No, not again

One hopes for spring. One dreams for brighter days of sunshine and flowers blooming. We were a bit spoiled going south for a few days. In Georgia, it was a beautiful day. The clouds only teared up at the end of the cemetery time and that was totally appropriate. Then in Charlotte, we were watching them plant flowers and I even got down and smelled a daffodil or two.

Then reality- Minnesota. This morning it was one of those, not again mornings. Rain, sleet, hail, wind, cold, cloudy and all around “yucky” day. We need them to bring spring about, but this has been a long winter and well, to be honest, I don’t want another “No,not again” day.

In our faith walk we have days that we giggle all day. Days were people open the door, people hug us, the minister actually preaches a sermon that makes us feel like we are more than conquerors, the band is good and the music we know. We buy  a stranger lunch, we take the dog for a walk and watch our favorite movie. We go to bed at night thinking life can’t get any better.

And then we wake up to “no, not again”. The winds are blowing, people are hurting our heart, the leaders who are supposed to build us up, tear us down, we can’t find our hope, our joy ran out the door and then we get one of those phone calls… or rather in our culture it’s an e-mail.

No, not again days make you want to quit. It’s the days that Southwest airlines reminds us that we all want to “get away” and they have the perfect place and a good price.

Jesus reminds us that there will be days like these. Of course people have written songs about those days. Psalms 30:5  “For his anger endureth for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. ”  Remember, there is always a morning after midnight. When it’s so dark you can’t see, so thick you can’t breath and so cold you shiver, God is still there and is waiting to bring the sunrise and make you marvel. Sometimes we don’t see it for awhile but the morning does come and it’s not windy, cloudy, cold and chilly.  Sometimes God allows the morning to be another one of those “no, not again” days but then he brings in someone to remind you of the hope which lies within. Or God will bring to mind a verse that gives you the energy for one more step. There are times when “no, not again” is just a bad day. There are times when “no, not again” is enough to send you over the cliff. “No, not again” days are when we need to grab hold of God and don’t let go regardless of how tired our fingers are.

It’s just another day; a day of plans and of things that need to be done. A day of preparing for tomorrow, a day of recovering from the weekend. A day that reminds me of those to pray for on the fridge dry erase prayer list, and the children we sponsor in other parts of the world. It’s a day to reflect, a day to anticipate and a day to look out the window and wonder how bad this storm will be and will the weathermen have it right or are they 50 miles off and we get either nothing or really dumped on?

Either way, I can choose to take a “no, not again” day and make it a day to enjoy and grow in God not gripe and be grumpy.