Thursday, April 28, 2005

Fruit Loops

Today I have been packing some things to go in our fifth wheel. We're leaving Monday on a fishing trip for a week. (It will be hard to leave my new blog friends behind!!) I was looking for a tupperware container to put some cereal in. I found one that just had a little bit of cereal in the bottom--a mixture of rice krispies and fruit loops (much to the chagrin of my daughter who doesn't like anything to touch or anything mixed together!). I had put these two bits of cereal together over a month ago thinking we would eat them up. We often mix different cereals together and eat them with yogurt. But here they still were. I opened the lid intending to just dump them out. But those little colored circles were just to tempting! So I very meticulously picked out all the fruit loops and ate them up! The rice krispies were all that was left. Did I eat them? Oh, no! It was easy to dump them out.

While trying to come up with something to blog about, I thought, "Well, this has just been a normal, busy day--nothing profound, no impressive insights. Just a rice krispy day!" We're like that with life a lot. We pick out all the sweet, colorful tidbits to focus on. Just the exciting things. Or the horrible things. No rice krispy things. And then I thought of the following poem that I loved when I was in high school. Guess I still do.

"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are...
Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.
One day I shall dig my nails into the earth,
or bury my face in my pillow, or stretch myself taught,
or raise my hands to the sky and want,
more than all the world, your return. "

Mary Jean Iron

It's good just to have a normal day. I can think of days when I have begged and pleaded for a normal day. In my almost 50 years, I have learned that even when days are darkest, or winter is at its bleakest, the normal days WILL return. And what a blessing they can be!!

But whatever "day" I might be having, I know that it is "the day the Lord has made". It is so comforting to know that He is in control. That He cares about what kind of day I am having, and that He has CHOSEN this day for me. It is up to me to choose how to value it. As for me, today, I will "ReJoyce" in today--for the Lord has made it! I think if I can remember that, every day will be a "fruit loop" day!

"Go celebrate with a feast of rich foods [fruit loops] and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!" Neh. 8:10 NLT

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