I have taken up a stranger for my Lent today. So therefore I had to set my own sacrifice. For the day, I chose to face challenges.

My first challenge was getting out of bed and without hitting snooze. I used to be really good about that, getting up right away. But I’ve progressed to a more slug-like existence in recent years. My second challenge was opening mail. I hate going to the mailbox. First of all, it’s dangerous on my road! Second of all, I rarely get anything fun. Just a bunch of crap. Thirdly, there are spiders. But to be honest, I still hate email worse. There aren’t even spiders! And it’s not dangerous, other than I will be presented with lots of ways to spend money. I usually don’t even bother opening it. It languishes in my inbox for all eternity. Right now I’m sitting on 7,723 unopened items. That’s just one of my accounts.

Anyway. Today I’m praying for a mother of a child she birthed very recently, prematurely, and lost quickly. Is there a greater pain? I doubt it.

Lord, we don’t know the reason. It may not be revealed in this lifetime. All we know is the heartache of losing someone that wasn’t ever ours to begin with. Please be with this mother in the coming days, months, and years, as she always mourns the loss of this little one. I know she’ll never forget. And I know you know the reason for every hair on our heads, and it’s just knowledge that would get in our way of your plans for us. Please guide the mother through your will to do your works, to share your message. Please see to it that she doesn’t lose faith, that she can be an example to non-believers. I pray for her husband and all their family as well, as I’m sure they were ready to pamper this newest addition and love it with every fiber of their soul. Let any residual guilt that any of them could have done anything different to change the outcome dissipate. That kind of thinking will poison their hearts. Please let them spread love only, Lord. I can’t fathom what they’re going through, but I pray for rest for their weary bodies, minds, and souls. May they come together in their grief, and not split apart and blame. May the couple’s relationship grow and thrive in the wake of this loss. Thank you for all you give us every day, and thank you for sparing our lives one more day to do your will, to share your love, to shine your light. Thank you for the beautiful weather, another day to recover from the flooding. Thank you for our leaders, our soldiers, our teachers, and our churches. Thank you for our families and friends who are the living breathing backbone who support us when the rest of the world is dark and unknown. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I didn’t hit snooze. I thought, if that lady can get up and face this day, I shouldn’t have the slightest problem. I did open my mail, and put a whole bunch of it in the trash. I did deal with some of the mail that came last week, too. I deleted maybe fifty emails (lets not get carried away). I didn’t organize receipts, but I did start on a work project I’ve been inwardly dreading. I didn’t go to the bank, but only because I didn’t go out for lunch. But, I lived through another spin class where I gave it all I had. I know I did, because my legs were sore by the time I got home. I stopped for gas at a quarter of a tank. Gary was still going strong at Co-op at 6:30, loading the tinder truck and spreader trucks. It’s good to see them thriving and making the most of spring while it’s dry.

Don’t let things get you down. It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed. Just conquer one thing a day. Make a list and mark it off. You’ll get there. You’ll get there. I have had days where my list looked like this:

• Make bed
• Take shower
• Go to Post Office
• Make dentist appointment
• Finish book
• Put pork chops in crockpot 1:00
• Weed flowerbeds
• Dust
• Vacuum
• Clorox shower
• Clean makeup brushes
• Do laundry

Not too strenuous, right? Well, maybe not. But you put the easy stuff on there to get you motivated to knock out the dreaded tasks. Notice “delete 1000 emails” isn’t listed. I don’t need that staring me in the face.

Well, this is no self-help column, and I’m certainly not in a place to be dispensing advice, but just know that we all have our dark days filled with worry and a sense we can’t push on, what’s the use? And that’s when you count your blessings and compare yourself to someone who just lost a baby. Or their home in a fire. Or someone who lives in poverty in a third world country or just down the road under a bridge. Get some perspective, wallow for a day if you must, then get the heck up and go do something. It’s easier if the sun is shining, I will say that. I wish y’all the very best.

Love from Appalachia,

Amy xoxo