Early yesterday morning, I sent my boss a message on our internal office messaging system that said, “It is going to be a long week, but I am up for the challenge.” The week prior consisted of extraordinarily long days, and despite working most of the weekend, I knew the week ahead would be the same. Yesterday, was already a long day in the making. I started my day around 5 AM, and I did not finish work until 8 PM. I logged out of my computer, and I walked straight from my desk to the shower.
The shower relaxed me, and I headed straight for bed after. I was deep in my slumbers before it was even 9 PM last night. I got up around 2:30 AM. I do not normally check my phone in the middle of the night, at least not now that I no longer have a child with a driver’s license in the house. I checked my phone in the middle of the night because I had gone to bed so early. I found a text message from my sister, sent just a few minutes before I woke up, “Dean and Nancy are on the way to the transplant hospital in Houston!!!!!”
The hours that followed consisted of my sister and her husband and I tracking their journey from New Braunfels where they all live to Houston. Once they hit Columbus, TX and had two hours to spare I felt a warm sense of happiness and relief. Not even realizing that I was still tired, I drifted off to sleep. I woke up hours later; it was almost 8:00 AM. I usually get up at five, so this was exceptionally late for me. I rummaged for my phone, no calls or unread text messages. I phoned my sister, and she confirmed Dean and Nancy made it safely on to the hospital.
I decided to go into the office, just in case anyone needed anything. My office is less than three miles from the hospital. It could not be more convenient. Despite me being awesomely late this morning, my coworkers were super on point, and we got the most important thing that I needed done finished and sent over to the client before noon.
My thoughts are scattered, and my nerves are shot. I need breakfast, but the world has moved on to lunch with it being almost noon. I am now sitting at my desk taking a mental break from the ten consecutive 12+ hour work days. As I reflect on my note to my boss yesterday morning, ” It is going to be a long week, but I am up for the challenge.” I more than appreciate how trivial my life challenges are – long workdays filled with work that I truly enjoy, a severe cold that had me feeling awful all weekend that has passed, the usual concerns and worries that being a mother brings.
My first thoughts this morning were vastly different than the previous. My first thoughts were of Dean and Nancy and their children. I am filled with perspective. I am filled with hope that Dean’s transplant will be successful. I ask that all of my readers raise Dean, Nancy, and their children up in prayer today. I ask for prayers for the donor’s family, who lost a loved a loved one last night.
Whatever one’s trials may be, there is someone facing a far greater trial…