Ordinary Joy

"Prompt: Ordinary joy.

Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?"  (Author: Brene Brown)
--reverb10.com

The first thing that popped into my head?  Sledding last winter.

I had arranged for a few of my youth group kids - and their parents - to go out to lunch after worship and head to a nearby sledding hill one Sunday afternoon...  Fully intending to let them have all the fun.

I did part of my growing up in Ohio winters - wet and slushy.  Dad would take us sledding occasionally - and besides being terrified of going down hills at fast speeds and not being able to control anything about the experience until I was thrown into the snow...  It was cold.  And wet.  And yucky.  I hated it.

Then we moved to Southern California and I figured I would never have to endure the ickiness of sledding again.  Thank God.

Nope.  We moved to Minnesota a year and half later.  But, I'm pretty sure I got out of every sledding adventure through junior high and high school....  I don't remember sledding through those years.

And I know I never went sledding in college.

So I thought I was done worrying about it.  Until I planned this silly day with my youth group kids.  What was I thinking?  Well...  I was thinking I would be the chaperone - there to keep everyone safe and warm and in good spirits.  And take lots of pictures.

But then the parents decided to join us.  And my hubby.  And I should have known I was doomed.

We weren't there 15 minutes, when I started being pressured to go down the hill.  I held my own for awhile - until little Tommy offered to let me use his sled "because you can steer it the best - and it has brakes!"

Oh.  All right.  I jumped on.  Hubby and I went down the hill together - and I screamed the whole way.  I'm sure everyone else on the hill thought, "who's the crazy lady?!"

It's me.  Just little ol me.

Guess what?  I LOVED sledding!  We went down a couple more times...  Until I couldn't climb UP the hill anymore.  And last Christmas, "Santa" brought my hubby two sleds so we could do it again!

Such a silly little thing.  Something I spent years dreading and avoiding - because of silly little fears and insecurities.  I think that one day on the hill sparked a tiny bit of courage in me - that managed to follow me into other situations throughout the year...  Other silly fears have started to "melt" too.

That alone is worth a huge amount of JOY!


Things I am thankful for today:

1.  Good peer pressure.
2.  The generosity and compassion of young boys.
3.  Taking risks.
4.  Screams turning into uncontrollable laughter.
5.  Getting a lot done on my mother-in-law's kitchen project.
6.  The hubby and I working well as a team.
7.  Getting to see Renee and Matt, from college!

(Pizza boxes?!  Long story...)

8.  Getting to meet Fernando - so fun!
9.  Ginger ale.
10.  Hot showers.