Day 15: Jam-packed JOY

I shoved about as much joy into about four hours as humanly possible today!  This entire day has been go...go...go...but much good has come out of it.

Fridays are my short day.  Squeezing in everything before 4 pm, when Noah goes to work, isn't always easy.  Just as summer has come to a close, we've almost mastered it.

Today's game plan was to head out the moment I got off work.  Noah set no less than 10 alarms to ensure he would up and ready.  (Lord, help us come August!)  There were a couple of stops we needed to make, of course lunch, and a surprise visit to my Grandma at the hospital.

My joy started with Bible study at my sweet friend's house.  God has spoken to me to so many times since I've began going weekly.  We're on our third or fourth study and, of all the ones I've done in my life, this is by far one of the most profound.  I promise I'm not getting a percentage of the profits, as much as I recommend it.  But if you're looking for one - "Not a Fan" is an amazing choice!

As much as it blesses me, the relationships and friendships with the women are an added and sometimes unexpected joy for this introvert.  After the study this morning, I stood in the driveway, with the scorching sun baring down on us, sharing prayer needs and concerns with one of the ladies.  Jumping into into the cooling comfort of my car, God instantly began to ease our worries with a song.

So often He sends us messages of encouragement, if we'll just slow down to listen.

Picking up Noah a few hours later, I switched seats and settled into the passenger/navigator role.  This momma is having a hard time knowing I have less than two weeks to be his ride-along buddy.  Please pray for me (but mostly my boy) as he'll be licensed by month's end.  Every moment we're together in the car is a blessing and I don't take any of the time with him for granted.

Part of our drive was spent sharing lessons I hope he'll retain when mom is no longer in the car with him.  As his eyes began to glaze over and attention shifted, the radio became a friendly distraction.  We share a love for an eclectic mix of music.  Today he surprised me by asking me to look up and play a song on YouTube.

Never would I have guessed he would know who Carly Simon was to request "You're so Vain."  He even had a funny story to share about the song.  And that sent me down memory lane, so DJ Heather began busting out old tunes to see if he recognized any.  It was proud moment to hear him singing along with many of my choices.

With only a few Fridays left, I decided to splurge and take him to Red Lobster today.  It was Crabfest, which is one of his favorite seafoods.  His meal was more than double mine and I have no clue where he put all that food but it was a joy watching him eat.

Our last stop was a visit to my Grandma, who is recovering at the hospital from a recent fall.  She was asleep when we walked in so we gently tiptoed over to the window.  It wasn't long before she began to rustle and Noah met her at the bed.

"Well you're a tall drink of water." she smiled.

Though our stay was brief I'm glad they got to see each other.  She told him several times how proud she was of him, especially after he apologized for having to get to work.

"You've grown into a fine young man," she whispered.

Watching his giant frame bend to hug her small and frail one was precious.  I wish my heart could share a photo of what was seen and felt.

(Prayers are appreciated for her and my aunt as well.  They are rushing her home, way earlier than any of us are prepared for and I worry about her recovery.  She has a long road ahead, as does her daughter who will be primary caregiver.)

Dropping him to work, I ran my last set of errands and picked up our newly personalized mugs.  If you're looking for a knockoff version of Yeti, Walmart is the place to go.  My drink stays just as cold without the fancy name on the side.  Besides, I like my logo better anyway.