A Bad Day in the Bathroom
My daughter and I have the exact same color hair. For years, she’s been trying to make the case that our hair is blonde… but I think light brown is more accurate. If an action were to be the deciding vote on our hair color, however, last week it was affirmed that I am definitely a blonde.My morning plans had abruptly changed and I needed to rush to get ready and head to an unexpected meeting. In my haste, I tried to rinse off a razor in the sink. The immediate flow of water didn’t seem to do the job, so I decided to use the plug, fill the sink, and soak the razor blade to get it clean.I walked out of the room and immediately started drying my hair. (Do you see where this is going?) About 10 minutes later, I turned off the hairdryer to hear the sound of running water. I bolted down the hall into the bathroom. To my amazement, there was no sign of water overflowing onto the countertop. I was so excited, thinking I’d avoided a disaster. Then I looked down. There was water pouring out of the cabinets below and onto the floor. Apparently, the seal between the sink and the countertop was porous enough to allow all the water to escape underneath the counter.I turned off the water and grabbed all the towels within reach to begin absorbing the mess. When I ran out of towels, I scurried down the hall to a linen closet. To my horror, this new location allowed me to hear what sounded like rain coming from downstairs. Sure enough, as I flew down the stairs into the kitchen, I was greeted by another growing puddle of water.Once I got everything under control, I took a deep breath. If only I could take the last 10 minutes back. My daughter and I share a bathroom, so I immediately thought of her. I could see her shaking her head at her silly mom and wondering what of hers I had ruined. Then I recollected that, just a few days earlier, she had experienced a similar wish of “if only I could take those 10 minutes back.” I sent her a quick text (don’t tell her teachers) and tried to use the moment to reassure her that we all make mistakes… and mine was much bigger than hers.[bctt tweet="Sometimes, 10 minutes can define our next 10 years if we allow the enemy to have his way."]I can laugh now, but it brought to my mind a concept I learned when writing Miss Perfect. Every single one of us can think back to 10 minutes of our life which we wish we could take back. I have other 10 minute experiences that have done a whole lot more damage than the water did. Sometimes, 10 minutes can define our next 10 years if we allow the enemy to have his way.So, how do we get over what we can’t take back? One enormously important step is to realize we’re all fellow strugglers. If you were at Highpoint this weekend to celebrate our 13th anniversary, Clayton King made reference to the idea that you aren’t the only one to go through divorce, to be addicted to pain pills, to get a horrible diagnosis… One of the first steps we must take is to realize we aren’t alone. Other people have come through the very thing we think we’ll never outlive.Check back for more on Thursday. In the meantime, is there something you think you cannot outlive? Begin to pray and ask God to show you that you aren’t alone in your struggle.[bctt tweet="Remember: Other people have come through the very thing we think we’ll never outlive."]