Cinderella...The Day After

I felt a bit like Cinderella the day after the ball.  I had just returned from the annual National Religious Broadcaster's Convention at the delightful Opryland Hotel in Nashville where I was treated to three days of extravagance, excitement and warm, rich relationships with dear Christian friends.  A definite highlight of the year.  So I should've seen it coming. 

The very next morning I awoke to dirty dishes in the sink, a minivan at the mechanic's, and an empty refrigerator in desperate need of a trip to Wal Mart.  My work was cut out for me.  I might have anticipated that the day would be woven with weariness right from the start when my son and I headed out the door for school, only to realize that my husband had left an hour earlier -- with my car keys in his pocket.  Hello, reality.

Home life can be ordinary, predictable, and yes -- even a tad mundane at times.  I'm sure you can relate:  You pay your bills, show up to work on time, stay faithful to your spouse.  You set your alarm for 5 am to drive your child to a before-school practice when you desperately need the extra hour of sleep.  It's a non-glamorous routine that doesn't warrant a YouTube video or a splashy Twitter post.

Scripture refers to this as the "straight and narrow."  Proverbs 4:25 instructs, "Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you", and reminds us that "folly brings joy to one who has no sense, but whoever has understanding keeps a straight course." (Prov 15:21)

The world might call it boring.  Tedious.  Something to avoid at all costs.
God calls it faithful.  Persevering.  Something to pursue at all costs.
I call it being a wife and mom. And it's one of the greatest privileges I could imagine.