Friday, May 25, 2012

When the Sun Shines through the Rain

Christy kept the girls today so Jim and I could take care of some business, also so I could take a nap. All of that was well and good, and--after we picked up the girls--Jim suggested a bit of furniture shopping.

We've been shopping for a new sofa and chair (or sectional) for awhile, and I'm starting to wonder if we'll ever make a purchase. The problem comes down to my liking to sort of sink into a sofa, and Jim's disliking the same. I just can't seem to trade my sinky, cat-scratched sofa (which I bought before we married) for a nice, new firm sofa. Also, I like the cotton, quilt-looking fabric of my sofa more than any other sofa fabric. Have you seen that sofa fabric that looks like elephant? I don't get that at all.

But anyway. 

Before we went furniture shopping, we parked at Chick-fil-A to eat some you-know-what. Jim's was grilled and wrapped in lettuce leaves, and we were having a conversation about crutches (as in, what we grab when we're unhappy). It was overcast off to the (I think?) east, and I said something like: "We need healthy crutches because--if we're not in the middle of a storm right now--we know a storm is coming. Jesus promised we'll have trouble in this world,

"but we should take heart, because He's overcome the world." And, at just that moment, I lifted my eyes from my chicken wrap, and would you believe it? Our minivan was in the direct line of the most amazing rainbow! Without shame, I'll tell you: I took that rainbow right into my heart as a sign from God. We are His people. He's got us.

Oh, and I have to tell you something else. Much later, Clementine announced (for the zillionth time in one evening) that she had to pee. She wasn't wearing her shoes, so I picked her up and carried her. She was all long, brown legs and big, curly hair, and I could only about half see where I was going with her wrapped me around like a hairy octopus.

The second I stepped into Burger King, I tripped hard over a gigantic, black rubber mat that someone had rolled up and left just inside the door. Lawsuit waiting to happen, lmtellya, and thank God I regained my balance and didn't fall on that hard floor with Clementine in my arms and Baby C in my belly.

So, immediately, I yelled: "Excuse me! This is very dangerous! I nearly fell and broke out every one of my teeth!"

And the young man behind the counter, on the other side of the restaurant, called: "I'm so sorry. I'll move it right away."

A few minutes later, when we went through the drive-through to get the girls some ice cream, the same young man was at the register. When I saw him up close and from the side, I thought: I know him. "Did you graduate this year?" I asked.

"Yes, Ma'am," he said.

"Did I teach you in Cumberland?"

He held up six beautiful, long brown fingers. "In sixth grade? Ms. West?" he asked.

"That's me!" I said (even though I'm not a West, anymore).

"I thought so when you walked in the door," he smiled.

"I would imagine you knew me," I said, "just as soon as you heard me yelling at you from across the room." And we all cracked up laughing.

Six years down the pike, and the little punk's still trying to kill me.

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