It happens to everyone...

5 things that have happened to me this week that I know everyone could probably relate to

1. awkwardly running into people at the grocery store

I personally find this hilarious for many reasons. For example, just this week I accompanied my sweet mom to Walmart. While perusing the toilet paper isle, we make eye contact with a friend of hers. It started with the wide eyed look at each other and a friendly hey, what are you doing here. Obvious answer. Shopping. And apparently for toilet paper. Then there are always a few awkward seconds of desperate brain racking on a conversation starter. I could see them both going through questions in their head.. Any recent illnesses? No. Any recent trips? Nada... then one of them found a perfect topic starter. Kids. They both have them, and Lord knows something is always going on in that department. So they begin to make small talk. All the while, other Walmart customers with shopping carts are trying to get through, or are pretending like they are looking at something else that they don’t really want while really wondering when the heck the chatty cathys' are going to move it on down the isle.

2. Being excited to go to sleep because you’re thinking about the coffee you will drink in the morning

At first I thought this might just be me, but then I had a discussion with a friend about it and she would be going to bed and get excited about the new creamer she bought. This could be a sign of addiction, but on the upside, every morning is like Christmas when you run to that coffee pot. And its nice being greeted by the Starbucks barista like you are an old friend. I spend so much time there--They should so be paying me for business by now.

3. Being a perfectly happy family… then getting in the car.

Somewhere between the driveway and the highway, something happens. Some invisible wave of short tempers sweeps in. In our family, this wave first hits the youngest child. Suddenly, the air is not blowing the right way—then the music becomes a source of argument--and if you happen to put your right pinky finger a little bit in the space of another, you’re a goner. I thought this might be an age thing. Surely as we get older this fades, but we recently left for a vacation and it found a way into our car. So beware. No matter what age or what size family, no car is safe.

4. Having a group of normally opinionated friends who magically become indecisive when the “where do we want to eat” question is asked.

Lets face it. We all have a place in mind. “No really, I could eat anywhere.” Well that’s crap. Nobody is that mellow. And you are hoping that no one mentions that place down the road that you aren’t too fond of, or the other place off that one street that they like to eat at all the time but you secretly hate. While these thoughts are running through your head, a place has been chosen and… bummer. It’s the place you didn’t want to go to. And if you had just spoken up you would have found out that only one person in the group of fifteen you are eating with wanted to go there. Nice.

5. When God uses irony to get a point across.

As if the whole world isn’t enough evidence of his creativity, he often uses some nice creative teaching methods. I think this has to be my favorite, because it makes me laugh every time. I have been through countless bank and passport/visa emails and phone calls and driving all over the place for letters and documents and at every turn there was a roadblock. Finally, after a week of running in circles, Saturday night comes and I have finally done the best I can to get everything done. I had spent the morning at the post office and the afternoon and evening at work. I sit in my bed and desperately want to sleep but have to plan children’s church for Sunday morning. I open up the lesson and it’s title is Don’t Give Up.