Last Friday was a really bad day.
I made light of it on Facebook, calling it a no good, horrible, very bad day. But it’s more accurate, more honest to say it was the kind of day that wore me down, that pushed me to the edge and then pushed me one foot farther. It was a day that made me mad and made me sad and did both with such vehemence I really started wondering what Friday had against me. It was a day I was glad to see end when I finally met my pillow near midnight.
But it wasn’t all bad.
A couple days removed from that painful day, I have a bit more perspective. As my piercing headache faded, so did my stress fog. It abated enough to remember that Friday wasn’t the worst thing to ever happen to me after all.
Today I was in the car with Mark. I was feeling extra super nice and let him turn the radio to the sports talk station. I wasn’t really paying attention, but one of the men being interviewed caught my attention as he talked about football strategy and statistics. (Because, of course. How could that NOT hold my interest?)
He said that a team doesn’t have to win for three and a half hours, that they don’t have to win for four full quarters. He said a team just has to win enough moments.
You just have to win enough moments.
His point was that a football team doesn’t have to be flawless from the toin coss to the last buzzer of the fourth quarter. It simply has to win enough moments to do better than the other team.
As the subject changed on the radio, I scrambled to open up the notebook app on my phone, asking Mark, “Wait! Who was that? Who is that guy?” and he wondered, “What are you doing? Why do you care?”
Like I told him, I don’t give a rip about football strategy, but that guy had a good point about life.
We don’t have to be perfect; we just have to win enough moments. Our lives don’t have to be flawless; we just need to pay attention to those winning moments.
When I think back to Friday (yes, all the way back to Friday), I remember that I did actually win a few moments.
- I woke up before Annalyn, actually getting dressed before she even rolled out of bed.
- There for about 47 seconds, my house was pretty well picked up. (I won’t say “clean,” because it wasn’t. But it was picked up, and that was a huge improvement.)
- I had fun spending the evening with the sweet girls my friends are fostering while they went to a wedding.
- I managed to get to the store and get ingredients for us to have personalized English muffin pizzas for dinner. And cookies. From the bakery.
- After her tantrum (and the consequences that followed), Annalyn felt guilty enough that she couldn’t sleep. (I count this as a win because evidence that the Lord is still working on her heart gives me hope despite the disobedience and disrespect we’ve been fighting for months.)
- When I sent up a distress flag on Facebook, asking for emergency computer help, a former co-worker was kind enough to stop his Friday night and walk me through a solution.
- Baby giggles. (Is there a better winning moment than THAT?)
Friday was a really bad day. AWFUL. But you know what? I’ll take it anyway, because in the end, I won enough moments.
What moments have you won recently?
I’m linking up to my friend Kristin’s carnival called Three Word Wednesday. (My three words are Win Enough Moments!)
This post may be linked to these amazing carnivals and link parties.
I really like the idea of winning enough moments. It reminds me of my other favorite sports analogy relating to perfectionism – The best hitters in baseball still bat .300, which means they get out SEVEN out of ten times. We’re talking 30% makes a Hall of Fame hitter.
So true about baseball stats!! (And crazy because HOW MUCH do they make again???) :)
I actually “kept quiet” and ‘won the moment’, when I wanted to voice my opinion about one daughter deciding to fly to town with a sick child, and we had another sickness already in the works at this house! The visit was more for the two daughters to do an essential oils class than a family visit. The hubby actually told me to get ‘in the middle’ of the decisions, and I refused. I had already heard God say to ‘stay out of it’ and let Him handle it. Just like my husband told me the previous week on something else. Funny how these husbands can be so fickle-minded. ;) I totally gave it to God and trusted Him to handle the whole weekend. And He did! The sicknesses in both families weren’t spread, and I was still able to spend the weekend with my two littlest grand children! I won the moment of keeping ‘still’, and God really won, because I let Him control the weekend – thus we all won!
Praying for little Annalyn…she might just be feeling pushed out of the ‘only child’ spot. And now has to ‘share’ mom and dad. Cute photos! And I love the coordinating outfits!
Praying for moments ‘won’ for you and your family this week!
Susan, I’m so glad your weekend worked out well. And good for you for winning that moment. I’m not sure I could have kept quiet myself! :)
How insightful! I really needed to read this today. :)
I’m glad it encouraged you, Lana. :)
We just have to win enough moments – I love this! I also love how God can speak to our hearts even through a talk radio interview on football : )
Yes, I love that about God so much! The way He can use anything – ANY.THING. – to reach us is amazing!
Thank you. I needed this so much today. I lost my cool with my 2 year old and her response was to tell me she loved me and give me a kiss which made me burst into tears. I SO needed this today.
Oh, man! Our kids are every lesson we could ever need on forgiveness, aren’t they? And little mirrors to boot! I’m glad this was encouraging for you, Heather. Hoping tomorrow has less losing it and fewer tears. :)
I love this! You are so right to go back and harvest the good out of what seemed to be a bad crop…this is grateful living and this glorifies the Lord. It shows the hope we have as Christians. :)
Grateful living makes ALL the difference in the world! (When I remember… :) )