Riding the Wave.

A chicken biscuit and a coke - specifically from Chick-Fil-A - will cure mild depression. 

Nobody in my house agrees with me. They’d rather have Scooter’s Coffee, or even McDonald’s for breakfast. Sometimes I don’t even know who I’m living with.

We can’t all have great taste. 

You may be thinking, isn’t fast food bad for you? 

Yes. Yes it is. But here we are. 

We’re in a strange stage of life right now. 

Our teenage son has his permit. He’s on his way to being more independent - even though just this week he forgot his cleats and spent an entire baseball practice at shortstop in Hey Dudes. 

Then there’s Jude. She’s also working on being independent, but still requires loads of assistance. 

And then there’s Megan and I. We work, Megan runs two small businesses, we exercise, we volunteer at church, we try to keep in touch with close family and friends. . . . and we like the house to be clean. 

I get overwhelmed. Anxious. And it happened as recently as last week. 

I knew it was bad when I was having a meeting with a prospective client - a great guy I’ve known for years. Before the meeting I had two cups of coffee on an empty stomach and a brain full of to-dos. During the meeting, I started beading with sweat. I started fumbling my words more than normal. My heart was racing.

This wave of anxiousness I was riding started as a ripple until it gained immediate momentum, fueled by over scheduling, overthinking, and over caffeinating.

But if you really know me, you know I’m determined (see the blog about the hubcap). In the middle of the meeting, anxiety working overtime, I squared my shoulders toward the guy, pointed my sweaty face right at him, continued to make eye contact and small talk, made a joke about the temp in the building and too much coffee, and kept going. 

But most importantly, I prayed for help. 

God showed up. He helped me navigate a crazy moment. He gave me peace. He helped me get outside of myself. He helped me survive. He kept me from wasting the rest of the day by replaying the moment 

And I even got the deal. 

Later, I followed my own advice and shared with a few trusted friends. I shared my proclivity to bite off more than I can chew and then chew it anyway out of spite. 

Here’s what I told them. Special Needs parents, I’m sure you can relate. 

When I get too busy, even by my own doing, I have one of three paths to choose. 

Path 1 - Better Boundaries
It’s wise and healthy to take inventory of all you have going on. I tend to think about things through things by asking these questions. Does God wand me to do it? Is it serving others? Is it serving you? Are you even doing it well? Does it interfere with your peace and conflict with the rest of your schedule? Sometimes the inventory leads to creative solutions, better boundaries, or even fewer to-dos. 

Path 2 - It’s Temporary
This one is more about mindset. Not all weeks are as crazy as the last two have been. Just weather the storm and things will get back to normal soon. Change your perspective on the inconveniences and discomfort - knowing they are temporary. 

Path 3 - Suck it Up
The other option is to get stronger. To keep going in the face of adversity. To keep giving, keep things on-track at home, and look good doing it. Keep what you’ve got and don’t change a thing because there are others who do way more than you and don’t complain or get tired. 

So which one of these paths is right for me? For my family during crazy times? 

I’m not sure yet. Probably some combination of all three. 

But I did have friend who offered some great advice. Just take on one thing at a time. Step by step. 

So that’s what I’m doing. Taking on thing at a time. And giving them to God.

So if you see me eating a chicken biscuit form Chick-Fil-A . . . . 

Mind your business.