Wordless Wednesday and misplaced Tuesday-First try at a bowl

But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Jeremiah 18:4 (NIV)

Not what I had hoped, but it is a start.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009-Slow Going

Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. Psalm 116:7 (NIV)

Once when a coworker hurt his back, the doctor told him to move slowly. That’s what I did today. Though it was hard for me to do, I rested. I still felt cruddy. I coughed most of the night, and my back hurts from it. I cannot go outside without coughing more and despite breathing treatments, I still feel breathless. So, I spent most of the day sitting around the house. That is so unusual for me as I am always on my feet and rarely sit down. I am always multitasking, working or playing, rushing around here or there. Today, I had no choice but to move slowly. I can’t remember the last time I read a magazine other than bits and pieces in the doctor’s office! Even thought it cost a whopping $5.00, I bought a copy of Southern Living last night at the pharmacy as part of my civic duty. Some people were talking about it at a meeting last week as it features part of our county, Anna Maria Island. My dad grew up there, and I have some happy memories from my childhood as well. The article talks about the excellent beaches but also the unique shops and restaurants. It makes me want to book a room on the island and just do nothing because I want to and not because I have to. I ended up reading the whole magazine including a story about Mount Vernon, parks in Virginia, a bathroom makeover and fashion week in St. Louis. I saw some creative home decorating ideas and found some great recipes. Inspired, I went to the kitchen to make a cake. Instead of doing it from scratch, I took a shortcut and used a mix, but the recipe for butterscotch frosting was awesome! Taking one thing at a time, sitting as much as possible and resting in between, I balanced the checkbook, went through some papers and filed them, reorganized our bathroom closet, folded laundry and watched five women deliver babies as the only thing on afternoon television is soap operas and baby stories. The only schedule I kept was adjusting the kiln every fifteen minutes for four hours. I took advantage of having a whole day with nothing to do to try making a large bowl. To make a piece that big, you have to bring the glass to full heat, very, very slowly. You raise the temperature only four degrees per minute. Then, once it reaches 1250 degrees it has to cool slowly to 760 degrees over a period of two hours before turning the kiln off to come to room temperature. It takes time to make something beautiful. Hopefully, my day of rest and slow going will make me feel better. Sometimes, you have to be deliberate about taking care of yourself. In the end, it’s all about the process of being still and recognizing that all we have is a gift from God and that happens best when we move slowly.