( Don't) Let them eat...CHEESE!

Well, work today was like sitting on a bucket of eels on a tiger's back while trying to play the bagpipes, thread a sewing needle with twine, and tapdance. In other words, I was exhausted by the end of it. It was like being pecked to death by ten thousand chickens. If it were up to me, I think I would let the girls sleep in until lunch tomorrow. But no. It is not up to me.

But to spare you the same feeling of " WHAT am I doing here?", I will recount only one of the charming things I experienced today. One of the current residents is lactose intolerant. If she wants to eat a dairy product, she has to take special lactose pills. Hmmm. Well, apparently, there is some trouble in Denmark. Or something is rotten in paradise. There is disagreement about the source of this problem amongst the staff. Some think that the lactose pills aren't working because her system has gotten immune to them. Someone else thinks that she's not taking them long enough before she eats in order for them to be effective. Either way, she has gotten seriously sick recently. Why, in fact, just this afternoon, she and two other girls were upstairs with me doing laundry in the bathroom when she rushed into a stall and proceeded to upchuck her lunch into the toilet. And it didn't just happen once. Poor thing. It was not a fun thing to hear. I suppose it is good training to be a mother. ( No, I'm really not pregnant.) ( I'll probably tell you if/when I am.) I think it would be a lot simpler if she would just not eat dairy. Easy for me to say. I think I'd probably go out of my mind if I couldn't eat dairy. Well, all in a day's work. And guess what? I get to go back again tomorrow!

I just went to the funeral of Amos Anderson yesterday - a first class saint. One of the speakers at the service told a little story about when someone thanked him for his years of hard work and service to others, he said, " I did it for Jesus." I thought, Wow. Could I truly say that about my job? Do I honestly consider my work as ' unto the Lord?' I have to be honest here and say that I don't think I have had that attitude very much lately. A lot of times, I am so focused on where I am in the week...( Is it Monday? Wah. Is it Friday? Woohoo!)...or what I have to do ( Ugh- I have to go do meds...)...or where my current sanity level is...( today, the thought crossed my mind more than once that I wanted to bolt for the door, and make a screaming exit)...or check my paystub to see how many paid time off hours I have accrued recently...You get the picture. I have been inspired by Amos Anderson to look at my job not just as the thing I have to do, but something I can do, something I can give - an offering of my life to Jesus. Yes, an offering that may seem pretty mundane most of the time, but it's not the thing you're doing, but the attitude of your heart that counts. For instance, Brad didn't end up finding a car for me at the auction today. He almost got one that seemed perfect but then he smelled the inside and knew that I couldn't stand the smell of cigarette smoke and so he didn't buy it. He offered up his day off to buy me a car, and came home empty handed and discouraged, and I think I love him even more because of it.

So, back to the whole job thing... I have to say, if it's just for the money, or just to make me feel good because I am helping someone, or for me to have fun, it's not really going to satisfy. So, thanks, Mr. Anderson. I'll remember that.