Choosing to Do Hard Things......

Yesterday was too busy for me to post ahead and ask for prayer.  In the gaps between guests and crisis interventions I prayed relentlessly over last nights TKD class and the myriad tiny details which had rocked our more sensitive kids worlds.  A careless word from an adult, peer age teasing, anxiety triggered by my absence the day before and my own concerns about the side affects of a new medication had created a swirling pool which made our twice weekly class look overwhelming and the potential for disaster loomed large.  I admit - I would have embraced a dead engine (it was very possible at -2) or a puking child - I could just feel the undercurrent of potential trouble and honestly I wasn't in the mood to deescalate one more situation.

By six o'clock nothing happened to prevent me from packing up the huge amount of gear, a laundry basket full of boards and the nine of us in almost clean uniforms as we heading out into the darkness to tackle the evening.  My mantra?  "I can manage anything for an hour.....class is only an hour.  In God's strength I can do this...." whimper...a science video and bed sure sounded easier than heading out into another potential crisis.

The drive wasn't fun.  Between quarreling in the back rows and some fairly serious negative talk from the front I was about ready to turn around and head home before we even hit the freeway. But I didn't - instead I kept praying and driving and using my words to guide the kids behind me into less destructive lines of discussion and thinking.In the end they settled and sorted out by the time we arrived at class and I was thrilled that all 9 of us - all the way down to Wind - were able to break our boards when the time came. No tears, no refusal, and best of all - no anxiety related meltdowns.

It was also a big night because Steam was officially accepted into the ATA Instructor Program and received his new uniform with red collar stripe (indicating his new status) and name on the back.   We didn't know that it was on the schedule for this week but in hindsight I am glad I kept praying and pushing forward with the day rather than falling back into the inertia of staying home.  In our own way we again chose to do hard things rather than easy ones and helped the crew grow one step closer to adulthood.  Learning to deal with things which threaten to paralyze and overwhelm us is an important skill for everyone - and in our world even the simplest plans give us plenty of opportunity to practice. 

Blessings today - as you tackle whatever hard things God has laid out before you...may you do hard things well.