let the water rise

14 years ago today, my younger blessing made his way into the world.  It was a quick entry, too!  Not sure how my doctor made it to the hospital in time.  If I was a good mom ;-)  I'd have wonderful pictures to document these growing years, but today I'm a kind of stressed out mom.  Work stress, not family stress.  But there is this picture from not too long ago....

I used it for my facebook profile until he requested that I take it off.    He doesn't like it, but I think it's pretty decent of both of us.   And I know I'm not a bad mom, because a bad mom wouldn't go hiking for six miles up and down hills  (mostly up).  He joined the world of cell phone owners and we enjoyed a king cake from the best king cake place in the world for his birthday.  My child that drives me crazy, but brings so much humor and laughter into our home!  

I knew today would be wild at work.  I have three IEPs this week, and I working on them was what was on my agenda.  The plans started to unravel at about 6:15 a.m. when my faithful assistant called and asked for the number of a sub.  It was my favorite sub, so that was a good thing.  I went to Mass (another good thing) and topped off my gas tank before the price went up again.  (I paid $3.19, but saw it for $3.33...)  Had a little bit of time to spend at the church.  There was a part from the responsorial psalm that caught my attention today.  

For this shall every faithful man pray to you
in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.

I knew it would be a day when the waters rose.  I just didn't expect it to be a flash flood.  As I walked into my room with my students, my assistant sub told me the office had called for me.  A sub hadn't showed up (actually more than one...), so they needed me to take a 6th grade science class.  NOT what I had planned for the day.  When this happens, it just sends me off the deep end.  Maybe it shouldn't, but it does.  It is a subtle way of telling me that my students and my job are not really all that important.

I was fairly quickly relieved from that duty and then attempted to regain my footing and come to terms with all the forms and data and info needed for our meeting tomorrow.  I started on the IEP.  I love our new system.  Until it doesn't work.  All afternoon, the system was off-line.  My new student came.  I was not really ready for him, but my current students took it upon themselves to invite him.  I was going to wait until his meeting tomorrow.  

My last hour came in.  Usually my most challenging group,  they were wonderful.  Perhaps they could sense that it would not be a good day to misbehave.

You know, looking back at it on "paper", it doesn't seem like such a horrible day.  Not perfect, but it could have been worse.  

One bit of good news.  Last year, I had mentioned a priest that had been accused of misconduct.  He had presided at my step-grandmother's funeral and seemed like such a good priest.  Today came word that he has been cleared of all charges of misconduct!  He has been returned to his parish, and they celebrated with a Mass of Thanksgiving.  Thirty-one priests attended, as well as a full house of current and previous parishioners.  He noted that the past 10 months had been a time of great spiritual growth for him.  Maybe this song, which I feel can be my anthem sometimes, applies more to him.  

May the Lord guide my thoughts, words, and actions in the coming week.  Remind me that the trials you send are for good.  Even if the waters rise, they will not reach me...though I may get tired of swimming!