Today, was almost one of those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.... almost.

It all started with a brilliant idea to go to the beach - 94 degrees out, 105 heat index, perfect beach day.  All loaded and ready to go, I start to pull the van out of the garage... SCREEEEECCCCHHHH, CRAAASSSSSHHH, CHHUUUUNNNCCCK!!!!!!!

That was the sound of me crashing my van into the 1/2 open garage door... needless-to-say, I busted the garage door and scratched up the van something nice too.  The garage door was stuck about 4' open and wouldn't budge.

Slightly daunted, I begin working to fix the broken garage door, hammering out the metal frame, having a child crying/fussing around me because they want to go to the beach, another child running to bring me tools, and another child singing me songs that it is going to be all right.  At this same time, the mail lady comes and the kids rush to get the mail from her and hand it to me while I have a crowbar in one hand and a hammer in the other.  Me, in my brilliance, toss the mail ON TOP OF the van.

The mom responsibility of the fussiness takes priority over fixing the door.  Then, during that, Miriam steps on an old 80's earring of mine and the whole thing goes in her foot and gets stuck.  Then, I have to call our doctor and find out if her tetnus is up to date.  Then, double checking everyone's hearts/attitudes to make sure we're all ok.  Then, we go back to fixing the garage door... it works, dented/askew but works.

For some crazy, next move of brilliance, I decide we should still head to the beach.  After an hour there it strikes me like a bolt of lightning - I left the mail ON TOP OF the van when I pulled out of the driveway. AHHHH!  In our current day of ID theft and knowing we had some important stuff in the stack, I was getting worried, very worried.

To calm down before we left the beach I was praying the mail would be safe, but I also pulled out my bible to read because I needed truth.  It was the story of King Josiah and the final kings before exile to Babylon and then God calling them back to Isreal.  I was comforted by these stories in so many ways but mostly because of how much they display the character of God.

Even with the Word fresh in me, the drive home was long and I still struggled to pray and trust God and to not worry and not freak out, I grunted in frustration at myself, kept asking why... "Why what Mom?"  My humbling... so wrapped up in my worries, I had 6 little eyes and 6 little ears watching and listening to my every move.  We have been working with one chlid in specific in not worrying and trying to equip them but it wasn't quite sinking in yet but now, here was Mom - worrying.  What a perfect time to teach them how to respond in the right way to worry through mom's example - true brilliance, God ordained.

I started by having us all pray for the situation and for us to trust God no matter what.  Then I began reciting outloud verses about trusting God, not worrying, God's goodness in all things and had the kids tell me some of their favorites.  Then, we started singing songs of truth about God being in control.  By the time we got to home, my heart was calmed down and at peace and ready to deal with what should come next and the kids got to watch Mom step by step respond to worry.

And the mail? Yes, the mail was scattered and run over, all over our very busy street, but we found most of it.  We didn't find the wedding invite I knew we had received, but I am so thankful for what we did find.  And in the mix, I got to share my story of trusting God with my neighbor as the kids and I walked up and down the street.

Though the van, garage door and mail all have their scars of the days drama, the kids came away unscarred and with a honest to goodness example.  So much of parenting is object lessons and the funny thing is that object is generally you.