Each morning as I slap the alarm snooze button, I start my prayer, “Lord, let this be a productive day.”  For the most part, I enjoy my days without any question.  I like the mundane of my life.  I try to find ways to make the housework a “blessing” for my home.  Can be hard but I have found that if I start my day in prayer centered around the activities I have for that day, I can enjoy the most horrific days.

Today, I had on my agenda to sub where I had formerly taught.  I started praying the minute the alarm went to buzzing.  ”Lord, please, let the kids be great today.  Grant me patience.  Grant me the power it is going to take to handle all that is thrown my way.”  I then immediately began the serenity prayer, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”

So off to work I go!!  I was enjoying the morning drive especially since we haven’t seen the sun in these parts for this amount of time….. can I hear an AMEN from Arkansas???  So I am singing along with the praise song on the radio and then I had an Ah-Ha moment….. Either, I had forgotten what traffic is OR I drive slower and safer than I used to…..  Well, can’t very well change the fact I am stuck in traffic.  So I accepted it and went on singing and praising the Lord.

Arriving right on time, I rushed into the office to find out which classroom was mine for the day.  Receiving the classroom number, I was off like “Super Teacher!”  Before I got to the door, I hear, “Ms. Dettra… hold up!!”  The secretary was sending me to the wrong classroom.  There was a sub already assigned to that room.  OKAY…..smiling I thought, “Thank You, God, for the opportunity to sub.”

The next classroom was across the campus and I opted to drive instead of walk…. taking the lazy route, I know…….  I gather up everything again and off I went to meet the group of kids I was to teach.  ”Super Teacher” in the building…. make way….  Opening the door, I was greeted by a sweet young lady.   “How can I help you?” she asked.   I stepped back, looked back, and realized I wasn’t crazy…. this is the room I had been assigned.  Again, smiling, I squeaked, “I am the sub???”

Feeling a little out of whack, I headed back to the office to find the Assistant Principal.  The whole morning is playing back in my mind….. had to feed kids toast instead of a nice wholesome breakfast, kids and Mark have had to settle for plan PB&J in their lunch boxes, traffic, crazy drivers, more traffic, rushing up the stairs to the school… oh wait… gotta catch my breath because… well, let’s face it…. I am out of shape, one classroom…sub, second classroom…sub…… what was it I prayed for Lord???  Smiling, I whispered the serenity prayer….. more like the Seinfeld episode…. raising my arms up,  screaming “Serenity NOW!!”

“Oh, I hate you had to drive all the way here….. let’s see if we can find someplace for you to work.”  Oh, how nice……at least this isn’t going to be a waste of a day.  Then she said the dreaded words, “SECOND GRADE!!”   Feeling the blood leave my face and the acid churn in my stomach, I swallowed and said, “Oh, I… I….”  Cutting me off, she said, “You would be an aide not the teacher.”  Sighing with relief, I headed back across the campus and settled into my day.

“Please Lord, no snotty, swine flu noses….” I started my prayer.  I think God has having a laugh when I was coughed on and snot smeared across my shirt as I was being hugged by the “cutest” second grader…..especially when I went frantically searching for the Germ-x.  Once that darling babe was sent home due to illness, I settled into a quaint little day of helping out.  It was fun.  I enjoyed catching up with old friends.  And for the most part, I loved the day.   It was just the getting to that point and a handful of Nerds candy that made the day better.

Once the classroom was down to just a couple of students, I was able to slip out and leave early.  Having high hopes that the day was getting brighter and planning a surprise for my daughter with two tickets to see, “Little House on the Prairie, the Musical,” I set off for downtown Little Rock.  Just singing praises along with the radio, I found myself smack dab in the middle of traffic again around the theater.  Every TV station was present and people were everywhere! Circling like a shark, I was on the hunt for a parking spot. After about 20 minutes, I found one…. 4 blocks away.   Thank goodness, I was on empty and was afraid of running out of gas.  Well, I was excited to find the one and only parking spot left in the area.  And I was going to take a spin on this one……it is a lovely sunny day and I am about to enjoy the exercise…..Plus I parallel parked without a dent!!  Now for the meter…..grabbing my coin purse……I was so disappointed to see that the meter doesn’t take pennies!!  I didn’t have anything remotely silver in my whole purse.   Well, now plan B….. leaving my vehicle without money in the meter.  Remember, I am “Super Teacher” and I will be back in a flash!!

Can I just say, “Thank You, God!”  I looked up and saw that I was standing in front of the Little Rock Police Department.  Again, I swear I hear a chuckle from the heavens.  Frustrated beyond belief, I jumped in the car thinking that the extra money for purchasing over the internet was worth it.   And by the way, I barely made it to the gas station!  It was starting to sputter as I stopped at the filling station.

Apparently, this blog was supposed to be about the Serenity Prayer and how helpful it was throughout the days events…..I tell you now….. I am laughing as I am writing this blog.  The librarian is giving me looks as I sit here typing and laughing.  In all honesty, today although a little frustrating has turned out to be a grand day.  And Lord, thank you for the serenity…… because just a few years ago, I wouldn’t have such a good sense of humor about the day.  And isn’t that what is all about anyway……making lemonade from the lemons of life????

God Bless…….

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