I Tell My Story

I was talking to someone the other day about all kinds of things, new things, old things, God things. I looked at this person & said, you don't know my story, do you?

As I told my story, I felt sympathy, understanding, anger, confusion, & finally love from this person. I didn't tell my story for attention but because I felt this person needed a deeper look into me.

It dawned on me this morning why. I have no clue why this morning, because I certainly hadn't  been thinking about that time or that conversation.

I know that, yes, on the surface, I tell my story so you can get a better understanding of who I am. I have become very closed off in the past few years. It's hard for me to open up. It's hard for me to trust.

But then I understood that I tell my story because it's MY story. It tells who I was, where I have been, what God delivered me from, where I am now, & what I hope to be in the future.

I tell my story not to highlight my mistakes, but to show God's mercy & grace.

I tell my story in the hopes that others will realize there is MORE than the situation they are in right now.

I tell my story to give God the glory for picking me up when I didn't think I would ever see the light again.

I tell my story so that others can know it's not the end.

Even though I am ashamed of many things in my past, I am not ashamed of my story. My story isn't over yet. But I already know how it will end, it's just the chapters in between now & the end I'm not sure about.

So I tell my story......

I wrote this post early this morning, but then went to a youth rally tonight and the Trinity Baptist Church youth choir sang this song.

So I will continue to tell my story...

Yes, I Think That's Enough Now

I remember winter from my childhood. I remember it snowing all day & all night & all day again. I remember waiting gleefully to find out that school was canceled. Then I remember getting bundled up, spending all day playing with the neighborhood kids, sledding down hills, hiding under the pine trees in a winter castle, building snowmen big enough to sit on, & eating tomato soup with grilled cheese to warm up.

I loved winter when I was a child!

Over the past few years, I've really started paying attention to winter again. I noticed that the winters of my childhood don't seem to exist anymore. Most recent winters were somewhat mild. Oh some had a few days that were downright frigid, but for the most part, they were chilly at best.

Snow? It seemed to be the thing that dreams & memories were made of, at least here in western North Carolina. Sure, plenty of counties surrounding mine could relish in the white stuff. But it seemed there was a perpetual hole sitting right over top of us. Or better yet, a dome shielding us from any real winter weather.

There are a few winters that stand out in my head. The Blizzard of 93 when there was snow on my birthday (March 30). I had just broken my ankle a few weeks before in softball. I was too cool as a Freshman to wear jogging pants & refused to allow anyone to cut my jeans, so I hobbled around on crutches through the snow in shorts. February 1996, my senior year presented the most ice I can ever remember. We were out of school more or less the whole month, with usually only a day here & there that wold warm up enough to ensure safe travels. Valentine's weekend 2003 produced 2.5 feet of snow. The most I have EVER seen.....oh wait, we were in New Jersey on vacation then! I never would have imagined having to shovel my car out of the snow while on vacation.

Now the winter of 2014 will be added to that list.

We experienced multiple "polar vortexes" where the temperature plummeted to hover around 0* with wind chill factors being much colder! This is the first time I ever recall school being canceled, not just once, but several times due to the temperature alone.




Smowmageddon was aptly named when at least 16 inches (more in many places) fell in a short amount of time just before Valentines's weekend here in Western NC. My husband spent many countless hours scraping snow. I was stuck inside with my youngest child as he battled first the croup & then strep throat. My older two, who were so excited at first, eventually didn't even want to go outside because it was more trouble than it was worth.

Then just a few weeks later, as the weather channel predicts "just a dusting" with freezing rain to follow. BAM Snowmagaddon 2.0 (named just for the fun of it) produces 6+ inches. And again, this snow fell as my family was recovering from illness.

So, after this, I'm not really reminiscing winters of yesteryear.

This was my Facebook post this morning.....

Dear Mother Nature, 

I love snow. I love warm breezy days. I like blistering hot days in moderation. I even like the rain. Really I do. But I've just got to tell you that I don't appreciate your schizophrenic mentality. I'm not sure what Father Time did to make you so mad, but I do wish that the two of you would kiss & make up. The rest of us should not have to suffer.

Sincerely,
A Very Confused North Carolinian 

P.S. That 60+ weather you are cooking up for tomorrow & next week, feel free to allow that to hang around for a long time!

Bring on SPRING!