Precious & Unique, or Just Odd & Smelly?

Friday, 6/18/21

Welcome!  How are you doing today?  Hope to put a smile on your face now  . . .

What caused you to laugh at yourself over the last several days?

Let me tell you about my latest opportunity to make others feel better about their self in comparison to how I’m looking and acting.  It was coupled with a rather impressive God-nudge.

There’s a church not far from me where some women have created a supportive group for those who have fitness goals.  They also open up the church several days a week for people to walk or exercise in if it’s too hot or rainy. Since they let me bring my dog who can be a bit sensitive to the heat it’s a perfect solution some days.  I was on the way there when someone messaged to say no one would be at the church to open it.

So I drove around, feeling confused.  I was sure I was supposed to have gone to the church just because I thought I should,  and was bemused about what to do instead.  Meanwhile, my Sister of Spirit (S.O.S.) called and I was talking to her when I decided to drive to a pretty walkway next to a river.

Not sure what I was thinking when leaving the house, but it was one of those days where I really should have looked in a mirror first.  (Not to brag and sad to say, but it’s really not all that unusual.)  I had a massage earlier in the day and still had massage oil in my hair and hadn’t  thought to run a brush through it because I’d normally wear a hat to protect my scalp from the sun (and let’s be honest, to hide the lack of hair care).  But I failed to remember to grab the hat.   I’m pretty certain I forgot to apply deodorant and the temperature was high and my abode does not have air conditioning.  (I still don’t have my sniffer back after having covid last fall so I can’t smell myself when I do that.)  I have fair skin and have decided I’m done with using sunblock because it never stayed put and I always ended up getting a burn anyway, so I wear a lightweight coat or hoodie when walking, which causes more sweating, of course.  

(I wonder how embarrassed my dog is to be seen with me at times . . . )

Drove to the walkway and while still talking to my friend realized I was wearing a hoodie instead of a jacket so there was no ‘phone pocket’.  Decided to stick the phone in the top of my bra to continue talking to my friend while walking the dog. 

There I was meandering along this public walkway, looking (and smelling) a bit off and for all intents and purposes appearing to be holding an out loud conversation (with laughter) with myself since no one could see the phone and I wasn’t using earbuds or anything.  All while walking a pit bull with some fur missing due to allergies.  

Get the picture?

I had just been whining to my friend about how even more confused I’ve been lately, thinking there was so much to do and no matter what I did there’s always a feeling like there’s something else I should be doing but not understanding what, and feeling condemned for it.  I really thought I was the only one who felt that way and for some reason was vested in believing that, wanting to be so precious and unique with this issue.  So when  S.O.S. told me she’d heard a lot of other people say the same thing lately I didn’t want to believe her because, after all, this was supposed to be my problem and no one else’s.

I sat down on a park bench with my back to the walkway when this lovely younger lady I’d never met before (‘V’) walks up and apparently needed someone to talk with.  To prove how nonjudgmental she truly must be, she chose me as a confidant.  She then went on to say, almost verbatim, everything I had said that I thought made me so precious and unique because I was sure I had to be the only person who felt that way.  

I did mention my friend (who V must’ve thought was imaginary since there was no evidence of a phone or another person) was listening, and V continued to vent anyway.  I was honored to lend an ear, really, because by now it was evident this was the reason I was supposed to be at the river instead of the church.  This was one of those God nudges where by not being where I thought I should be, I was right where God wanted me (and S.O.S) to be.  

After a few minutes it was time to move on and V and I parted ways.  After resuming talking to S.O.S., who heard everything, we realized we could have prayed over this lady.  I went back to find V and ended up having to drive the car to catch up with her.  Got out of the vehicle and called out to her and she actually walked over to me (! – see what I mean by least judgmental person ever??).  I asked her if my friend and I could pray for her.  V said yes, she’d like that. So I replied (yes, I really did), “Well, let me pull my friend out of my bra first” and proceeded to do just that – reached into said bra and had to struggle a moment to fish the phone out.  You should’ve seen V’s expression – especially before the cell came into view!  And the look of relief and genuine smile when she saw the phone and my friend started talking so she could actually hear there was, in fact, a real person I was referring to.  (Wouldn’t it have been even more ridiculous if God’s sense of humor kicked into high(er) gear and my friend on the cell became disconnected while pulling it out of the bra???)

The three of us talked a bit more, prayed together, then all went our separate ways.

Later in the evening I was relating this true tale my sister and began to mention the part about being so confused.  She took over the conversation and said, almost verbatim, the exact same things ‘V’ (and before that, I) said about feeling so out of sorts lately.  

So much for being ‘precious and unique’.  Maybe I’m just odd and smelly. 

Looking forward to being back here on Tuesday. Until then, I hope you laugh much.