Have you ever been moving at light speed and think that everything is going your way and then you're reminded, not so fast... Slow down. It could all change in the matter of an instant?!?
I'm here to tell you it happened to me the other afternoon after I had a much anticipated and needed catch up with my bestie. I left the pedicure chair with pretty feet, a cleared mind and a sense of renewed focus on the week ahead, i.e. Christmas crazy week. You know what that is, right!? End of semester, Christmas parties at school, favorite things parties with my peeps, and oldest daughters double digit birthday. My head felt like it would explode. But after the 45 minute pampering I was able to see things clearly.
As I was leaving, I opened the door to the parking lot and it was cold and damp. I refused to put my boots on, well because why would I want to cover up my perfectly painted toes?!? I had only flip flops on and not even real flip flops. The fake ones. Disaster was looming. It was wet. I exit and start bee bopping to my car ...but I step in a huge puddle!! And the water is under my freshly lotioned feet; (you totally are wanting to laugh right now because you know what is about to happen) Well the rest is history. I went down in the middle of the parking lot. I fall. I slip and fall hard. Freshly polished toes scuffed from their date with the asphalt. I wasn't graceful at all. I managed to get up and assess the damage. Blood on my knees and elbows but no broken bones...phew. My ego was severely damaged. I just paid money that I should have spent on others and for what? Messed up toes.
So my life lesson is this : Sometimes life is going great and you're with your bestie getting a pedicure. And then wham. You step in a puddle and you slip fall and mess up your new polish. And then you get in your car have a good cry.
And then it's all good.
I still have my imperfect pedicure. I didn't go and fix it or have it touched up for a few reasons really... I had no time. And it was my reminder during this crazy time of parties and gift wrapping and over extended stressors that sometimes we need to slow down, watch for puddles and take the falls as they come.
This time of year we can all get caught up in the perfect gift, perfect party dress perfect dinner, the list goes on and on. But my messed up little big toe is my reminder that nothing is perfect except for the ultimate and best gift of Christmas... The birth of Jesus.
And now as the final days of 2014 are coming ... The bucket lists and resolutions and regrets and failures and accomplishments are screaming at us. But along with that is the promise of grace and a new dawn. Our walks may get twisted and ugly and smudged. But guess what? There is puddles everywhere... Keep your head up. Get some good nail polish for the touch ups and keep moving any way you can!
