Pause is good. Amen? Honestly, I believe that’s part of the reason that summer is my absolute favorite time of the year. Life slows down… some. I can catch my breath and enjoy a long coffee morning. Bet you thought I was about to say long morning walks. Nope! Hand over the coffee!
My morning a few weekends ago was not my laid-back, enjoyable summer morning. It was pure CHAOS! We were camping at one of my husband’s favorite lakes. It’s his favorite spot because the man is a diehard fisherman! He gets up early, goes to bed late, and spends all the in-between time… fishing. On this particular morning, he had left before daylight. I had planned for Oscar and me to sleep in. If you’re new here, Oscar is my fur-child, a mini dachshund. I planned to sleep in, but it wasn’t on Oscar’s to-do list.
Lately, Oscar has been having some anxiety. The last time Tim and I went kayaking, we had to leave because Oscar was a basket case. He would get into my kayak and want to be in Tim’s. We would put him in Tim’s kayak, and then he would want to be right back in mine. Oscar wanted our kayaks to be joined, but that couldn’t happen. So, we loaded the kayaks up, buckled Oscar into his car seat—right on the console between Tim and me—and got ready to go. I swear, he looked at me and smiled, then turned to Tim and did the same. He was all set and grinning like he knew he had won.
Back to the chaotic morning at the camper. Tim left somewhere around five that morning. Oscar heard him in the kitchen area fixing his breakfast. The whole time, he stood on the edge of the bed, hoping for Tim to come back and get him. His little heart broke when he heard the camper door slam. That’s when the pacing started. Oscar paced all around the bed. He went from top to bottom, back to top, across my head, across my feet, a gazillion times while I tried to get any amount of snoozing I could. Then it happened. Oscar had gotten himself so worked up about not getting to go fishing with his hero that he vomited… on my bed covers.
Side note: yes, he sleeps between us. And, yes, I totally get it if you think we’re nasty. And double yes, I understand completely if you don’t want to eat anything from my house. I’m not a very good chef anyway. 🤣
Forty minutes later, I was finally sitting down with my morning coffee, watching as the campground came to life. The longer I sat and meditated, the more I found myself feeling all woe is me for having to start my day cleaning up a little puke, and I do mean a little. Yes, it got on the bed covers, but it was completely manageable. And here I was, poor pitiful me, camping in a super nice camper in a super nice campground, with a super incredible view. Yep, poor me should have her hindend kicked forever feeling like that.
You know, if I just pause and look around, I can always find someone who is having a day worse than I am. And bless a Billy goat, I met them later in my day. Tim, Oscar, and I were on our way back to the dock from a midday fishing excursion when I heard a whistling noise. I was sitting in the front of the boat, so I waved my arms for Tim to stop the boat. Then we heard it again. Immediately, Tim recognized the sound. It was someone blowing a distress whistle. Off in the distance, we saw two young fellas waving arms back and forth.
We pulled over to hook up to them so we could tow them back to the dock. One of the fellas kept thanking us repeatedly. He said he’d been paddling with one oar for 40 minutes and was now farther away than when he had started. The wind was against him. I told him that reminded me of two old goats I had read about once who got on a boat one time with no gas and had to paddle back, sharing a styrofoam cooler lid. Guess he isn’t a follower of Frontporchcoffee.blog, or he would have known that story. (It’s located in the archives section.)
Once back on the dock, the poor fella’s day continued to worsen. I was walking back to the camper when I heard lots of yelling and a horrible scraping noise. I suppose in his frustration and exhaustion, he forgot to lift the propeller on the back of the boat, so when he pulled out, it dragged until someone was able to stop him.
I took him and his friend two cold waters. Figured they needed them more than we did.
In the Bible, it seems pretty easy to find folks who were having a bad day. I think if I asked anyone to name someone, the first one out of the gate would probably be Job. Gracious, before he could mourn one event, another one smacked him right in the face. Then there’s another well-known fella, Joseph. He went to see his brothers wearing a beautifully created robe his father had given him. Before he realized it, he was thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, and eventually ended up in prison. Boy, weren’t their lives interrupted by events they never imagined they would face.
I guess it’s because we’ve been fishing so much lately that Jonah came to my mind. Talk about having a bad day. I imagine getting swallowed by a giant fish isn’t on anyone’s to-do list. After watching Jaws, I struggle getting into the water at all! And, I was a grown woman when I first watched the movie, so I can’t blame my trauma on seeing it as a child.
On our recent “life trip” (the once-in-a-lifetime trip), Tim and I went snorkeling in a bay area with loads of other people. I had raised my head out of the water to clear my snorkeling tube when a nearby lady yelled at me. I looked around to be sure it was me she was talking to, and sure enough, it was. She asked me if the fish beneath us was a shark. WHAT! That’s all she had to say, and I was trying to be like Jesus and walk on water.
Jonah had to be put in timeout, per se, because he wasn’t obeying God. Whether it’s a pause by will or a timeout controlled by another person or event, they are both time interruptions different from the norm. These interruptions are times not to be ignored or wasted.
Chosen interruptions are the kinds I love. They’re embraced, planned, and literally absorbed through my soul. They look like slow evening walks with the love of my life—Oscar. Just kidding! I couldn’t resist. It’s really those quiet walks with Tim, or dancing together to a favorite song. It’s spending the day with my great-nieces fishing and frolicking around our farm. It’s savoring every bite of the chocolate-fudge-drizzled ice cream, planting something new, and digging my hands in the God given dirt. And then there are those “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay, watchin’ the tide roll away”¹ kind of moments—pausing in gratitude for all that God has blessed me with.
But what about those interruptions that aren’t chosen, like sickness, death, anxiety, debt, worry, stress, all the other heaviness life throws my way? None of these are a physical fish like the one that swallowed Jonah, but it sure can feel like I’ve been swallowed by a giant fish when they happen. They interrupt my plans. They change the path I am set on. And, if I’m not careful, I’ll find myself in a crying way that leads me to nothing but a migraine the following day.
Life interruptions are going to happen here where I live now. Some of them are going to be chosen ones that I will enjoy every second of. While other ones will leave me wishing I could either change them or run from them. What’s a girl to do with the ones she can’t change or run from? The only thing I can do…hold on tight to the One in control. I cling to God and His promises, especially these words that steady my soul: “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them! For the Lord your God will be with you. He will never fail you nor forsake you.” And somehow, in the middle of it all, His presence becomes the calm within the chaos.
(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” written by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper, released in 1968.
So good and so funny!!!