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What Did I Do to Deserve This??

"What did I do to deserve this?" That question is often asked in exasperation when things just don't seem to be going right. We all have those bad days when we wonder if we can handle one more unfortunate event.

Last week, however, I was wondering this when two good things happened. The first was on Thursday morning. My visiting teaching companion and I visit three women whose husbands are all finishing up their residency at the University of Iowa. Therefore, they all have found jobs outside of the state and all three have their houses up on the market in anticipation of their upcoming moves. Because of this, my companion and I decided that rather than visiting them in their homes, we would have them over to one of our houses for a simple brunch. We decided to have it at my house so their children could play in the basement while we ate and visited upstairs.

So, on Thursday morning, while the girls were at school and Ricky was at preschool, I was busy making cinnamon rolls, cleaning the kitchen, vacuuming, and just plain getting ready for the brunch. Andrew was the only one home with me and I didn't have time to entertain him. So, what did he do? Did he cry and hold on to my legs? Did he make a huge mess? Nope, not this time! He gathered up his three favorite things (his blanket, a baby doll, and a pile of board books) and sat on the couch. He spent nearly an hour there reading stories to his baby.

I couldn't believe it. He was being so cute with his baby and books that I took a picture. You can tell how busy my morning was because I hadn't yet combed his hair. He's cute anyway. After he read all of his stories, he got quiet. He had been there for a long time, so I took a peek to see what he was up to. This is what I found.

What a sweet little guy!! I wondered, what did I do to deserve this wonderful little miracle.

There is a second thing that happened last week that left me feeling especially blessed. When I was going through Friday's mail, I found a card addressed to me from Rick. He sent me the sweetest, most thoughtful love note in the mail. He had been out of town in Arizona since Wednesday, so by Friday I was really missing him. His card totally made my day. How did I end up with such a great guy?

I was thinking today about all the good and bad things that happen to us. I think these good and bad things happen not because we deserve them but so that we will remember them. The key is to grow and develop the the tough times, cherish the good, and remember it all. I know that's not a new idea, or even a very deep thought, but there you have it!

Comments

Debbie said…
Don't you just love those days when things go so good? I am glad that you had a great day. it is so nice when the kids play by themselves and we can actually get something done.
March 2, 2009 at 9:50 PM
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