A Good Morning

Having intentions of going to bed early and finally morphing back into the school schedule, I downed an otc sleep-aid and hit the sack by 9:30 last night. Quite a change from my summertime hours. Things were going exactly as planned. I figured I could see Gabby off to school at 7:30 (praise God she has a ride to school this year!!), then crawl back into bed until 9:00, when I'd make breakfast for Greta and start our school day here at home.

Perfect.

Until 2:45am.

Whenever the phone rings in the middle of the night at our house, it always means some sort of emergency in the church. The sound goes right through me like a lightening bolt. We've had everything from the news of a sudden death to a report that someone lit the church on fire. Unfortunately, our bedroom phone was left out in the dining room that night. I darted out of bed at record speed, charging down the hall to answer the phone, sure that someone in distress was on the other end.

"Uh, is Kim there?" came the raspy, surfer-like voice of someone obviously driving down the highway.

I've made plenty of wrong number calls in my life, so I always respond with kindness in these situations. Even at 2:45am. I apologized and explained that he had the wrong number. Then, concerned that he might make the same mistake twice, I carried the phone back with me to bed, waiting about five minutes for the second mistake phone call. It never came.

Relaxing into my pillow, I drifted back to sleep, still thinking my plan should be intact.

3:05am: the phone rings again. I had been asleep for 10 minutes. Not good. Mercy gift not high. I check the caller ID, confirm that it's Kim's friend, then decide to let the voice mail take it. Problem solved. Back to sleep.

3:15am. What? Seriously? Again?

My lack of mercy gifting is now in full force. I answer not with a pleasant "Hello," but with, "Are you looking for Kim? This is the wrong number. There is no Kim here. Please do not call this number again."

Assuring Ben that everything was ok and that it was just a wrong number, I tried to return to the land of nod.

Not successful.

I head out to get a glass of water, pick up a book and retreat to the couch, reading until 4:15am.

Needless to say, my perfect morning didn't happen. Gabby left the house without me even aware that she'd gotten out of bed. Ben left shortly after that, or so I assume.

The next thing I know, I hear a sweet voice from the kitchen call out, "Order up!"

Glancing at the clock, I am amazed to read 10:25am. Oh well. At least my intentions had been good.

My morning turned out pretty darn good, though, I'd say. This is what greeted me at the kitchen table, made by the loving hands of my sweet Greta Rose: