To Parts Unknown

Happy Monday...Well...Would you settle for Mediocre Monday???  I usually feel a little guilty when I am not upbeat...peppy...you know!  Kerri Walsh's nickname is 6 feet of Sunshine...impressive nickname...I am pretty sure no one has ever referred to me a 5' 4" of Sunshine...probably not even 2 feet of Sunshine. 

I might be a little too grouchy...too sarcastic at times to be thought of as sunny...but maybe my nickname can be 5 feet of "Fair to Middlin' (google it). :)

Today I am just straight up Fair!  Not feeling too physically fit today!  Feeling a little sickly!  Stayed home today and am hoping that tomorrow is a better day! 

As much as I love what is happening in my life..all the exciting opportunities, new goals, old goals, charity events, "growth" opportunities...etc...There are days when things are just plain hard. 

My sweet Emily learned that today!  She is attending a 2 day, skills intensive volleyball camp.  She has only ever played church league volleyball...and much to my joy...She LOVES volleyball!!! However, today, she was introduced to a tougher, in her words, "more complicated" form of volleyball.  She was disappointed and angry that all of the fun had been taken out of the game she loves. 

She does not like this "kind" of volleyball and is not interested in continuing.  I understand that!  There are lots of things that at times, can be fun, easy, entertaining...etc...that can be difficult under a different set of circumstances.  She is learning a new way of playing volleyball, a more competitive version and truthfully, it IS harder than church league volleyball and it is certainly more complicated. 

So I faced the challenge of listening to her and attempting to explain to her that she was not incorrect AND that I believed that in order to make a fair judgement of what this new kind of volleyball was like, it might be really valuable to hang in there for a bit and see if, once she learned the new parts...the old, fun game is still in there...

As I talked to her...I thought about how true that is of anything.  I find myself facing new challenges every day along this Journey and some of the new parts are very much less than pleasant.  I find myself facing old challenges as well...struggles with the same parts of life that I have been struggling with for years...all of it can look complicated and I can promise you that I have wanted to stick with the fun, easy parts and forget about the new, complicated pieces! 

But...here is what I am learning...once I "get it"..the understanding of the complicated parts...Once I conquer the "new" challenges...I do find that the fun, entertaining parts are all still there...just in different packaging.  I just have to be willing to step outside of what I know and trust that God will guide me through the unknown parts...to parts unknown!!!

I am out early tonight...time for some body recovery time!!!  Good Night, Sleep Tight and May Your Dreams Come True!