Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: SELF-CONTROL (12/09/21)
-
TITLE: In Time with Space | Previous Challenge Entry
By Evelyn Sprouse Rowe
12/16/21 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
Mrs Henry sat quietly drinking her cup of coffee. "Mike needs extra help?" Mrs Henry slowly questioned with interest. "That. Or more time to vent!" "About how he shouldn't have s many chores to do." Sarah looked frustrated.
Mike and Sarah had only been married a year when they mutually welcomed their first born, Emily Sue, into their family. Mike had injured his back helping a neighbor move a piano down 3 flights of stairs. Now Sarah was working two part-time jobs to make a very small family income.
"Well little Emily is probably walking enough now. Mrs Henry smiled. Mrs Henry was a rather pretty older woman in her middle 70s. Her husband had been dead almost five years and the large house was often more than Mrs Henry could keep up with.
She pulled her silver gray hair behind her ears with her glasses. They shimmered in the morning's sun. "Adjusting can be challenging but good for building us into better people," She commented as she gazed out the steamy window.
Mrs. Henry and her partially disabled husband had work together in the large home that was their bed and breakfast business for 10 years through to their retirement. Cleaning the big house had took both of them and at times help from others.
Sarah wiped the table and pulled her chair into the sun next to Mrs Henry. " why is life so hard sometimes" she questioned her older friend. "We get stretched on multiple levels. Good to remember when we end up doing things we never expected to be doing." She thoughtfully stated.
Mrs Henry wondered... What would she have done at the age of twenty if she had been a mother?
"How we feel about things is often harder than what we do about things." She offered. "But, both are important." "Dignity and flexibility can be challenged but are opportunities for a stronger/deeper self." Mrs. Henry continued willingly. "Irritations can't always be controlled. We just feel them." "It’s ok!"
A kind of control; a space, gives a chance to see and feel. Most times we react with the least effective words and actions first..... then in time, we see the opportunity." she slowly confessed.
Most mornings Mrs Henry read her favorite "voice" Bible translation and would ponder longer on words, than on reading them. 'Making space to sit present in the presense of God' was how she put it."
"I'm so glad Mike actually shares your interest." she reminded Sarah. She glanced at the very used Bible sitting in the sun. "Sharing not only beliefs but chores can be good." she interjected, "will make 'Time' for all the difference". "'Space' too!" she teased.
Sarah often listened to Mrs Henry talk about "time and space". Sarah liked the way Mrs. Henry talked about, things like; "science and creation", instead of taking sides she considered both sides.
Sarah knew in 10 short minutes she would have to be at Mr Harmon's house clear across town. Stepping into the cold December air she squinted at the bright white snow. Her thoughts went to the day ahead. She wasn't so irritated about Mike. She felt better.
Mike juggled the groceries from the car at a slower pace than before the two surgeries. Sarah's day had been hard in some ways. Tired from cleaning toilets and mopping floors but she was glad to be home.
"Emily!" "you should have seen her". "She was following me around all day and tried wiping up Roxie's mess after her third accident of the day!" "I will be glad when that pups grown up." Mike's entertained smile looked tired but happy. They both grinned watching Emily and Roxy climb the stairs to the door.
Sarah caught herself thankful for and thinking of, little learners like Emily and Roxy and the bigger ones like herself and Mike learning new "job skills" one day at a time ....in time with space.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.