3 Things To Tell Yourself When You Have "One of THOSE Days"

"Really?" I think to myself at midnight, while lying on a tennis ball on my living room floor, hoping to unkink my back knot.  "The alarm will go off in five hours.  Great." 

Two bowls of cereal, two Benadryl, one episode of House Hunters International and 15 minutes of lying in the dark on a tennis ball later, I take my microwavable heating pads (and the tennis ball) up to bed.  At 12:30am.

And stare toward the ceiling through the dark. 

Then read some of the Brene Brown book I have been meaning to read on the Kindle. 

And adjust the heating pads. 

And elbow my sweetly sleeping husband at least three times for no reason except he is breathing near me at 12:45am and I am irritable and unpleasant. (And probably jealous of him being asleep. Not getting "wife of the year" this year, folks.) 

I don't think he notices.  Which is good. (Have I told you he's a saint?)

So at 5am, when the harp-sounding alarm on my iPhone started strumming, I roll out of bed, bleary-eyed and not-so-rested after the measly 4 hour stretch of sleep. 

By 7am, my daughters are making high-pitched squealing noises at the dogs, who respond by barking relentlessly in excitement and running full tilt through the house.  

I try to read my Bible on the couch, because getting that discipline back in my routine is important although I am falling asleep at what probably are important - ok, I realize that it's the Bible, so actually it's all important - parts of the story of when King David died.  I really don't remember.   

My cognitive function is hovering near a negative-18. Whatever that is.  Fortunately the most taxing thing I had to do was decide which yard sale to go to with my friend.  You don't want to know how long that took.

So on my way to her house, I may or may not have somewhat passed a school bus when I wasn't supposed to.  The stop sign wasn't out and it wasn't moving.... Oh my word.  Fortunately my friend drove to the yard sale.  (I love her.)

Speaking of women I love, another friend sent me an email coupon for Starbucks.  Um, yes, thank you.

Now, obviously this is a great day for me to try to figure out how to use WordPress. Sarcasm. I'm shocked I still have hair.  Really, I know I am intelligent enough to figure out this thing, and everyone says it's easy and wonderful.  I need a class.  (You'll note you are not reading this post on WordPress....)

After dinner, I notice the goldendoodle is chewing something very happily. That would be my shoe.  Or was my shoe.  

(The up side is that the sandals were $7 at Marden's.  There are shoes whose demise would bring me to tears, and this is not one of those pairs.  Fortunately for the goldendoodle.)

Additionally, I am irritable and cranky toward people I love who are doing absolutely NOTHING deserving of irritability or crankiness.  I'm a catch.  Let me tell you.

Oh, and p.s. - I somehow modified the appearance of my blog accidentally.  But at least it's cute!

Do you ever have one of those days?  

The thing I'm learning is that "those days" come.  And they go.  

A better day usually winds up blooming tomorrow.

I have not perfected "How To Have a Sleep-Deprived, Emotionally Fragile Day Without Being Offensive to People I Love."  It would be terrific if I could say with conviction that I press into the Lord, pray a whole bunch, recite scripture in my head on an effortless replay button.  

It would be fantastic to say that I can just forge ahead with only an extra cup of coffee and my Super-Christian-and-Super-Woman cape (ok, when I re-read that it sounded a little scandalous to think of only having coffee and a cape on.... that's not what I meant).

Here are three things you can tell yourself when you have "one of those days":

* This is temporary.

* I will choose to do what I can do today, and I will give myself permission to set aside the more-than-I-can-do.

* God is with me, and He loves me even on "those days."

Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”