One of "those" days.

I sleep in a little late. I dial in on the morning telecon at the last minute. I browse my schedule on the laptop as I listen, punch off some email and think "I can get some stuff done this morning!" I chew on breakfast while pushing on the ear piece for my cell phone. My dogs on the deck at the sliding door get impatient waiting for breakfast and start to share their impatience by doing “growling-tugging at collar play”. The morning telecon goes longer than usual with an unexpected issue taking center stage. I manage to dress with the cell phone attached to my ear. I pack up lunch and then search for the bottled water in the pantry. Because I’m a little behind, every move I make wandering around the kitchen is a traffic jam, as my wife is now getting breakfast ready for herself. (Why did I like that breakfast counter in the kitchen again?)

It was “team building” day and our work group decided to have “soup day”, which I found out about yeaterday. Crock pot full of soup in hand, lunch bag on top, a very large 10 lb “tech” laptop in the backpack with the water , I make it to the pickup and load the backseat. As I am opening the front door I hear “Take this to the garbage can, they have not picked it up yet”. Back in the house I go. I lug the latest garbage to the curb, and then I’m finally off, earpiece still planted in ear, as I hear the latest status discussed in telecon #2 that started just before I walked out the door the first time.

The "team building" creamy chicken and mushroom soup I prepared last night is now sloshing in the crock pot and I can smell the delicious odor. This is not good. I took considerable care with the plastic wrap that should prevent the soupy goodness from escaping the warm confines of the crock. I failed (telecon now over). I dutifully stop at the “strike” line as required, even though there are no pickets there today (arghh!).

I deliver the crock pot and arrive at my desk. I dock the laptop and find out the clean schedule was there before is now a full slate of meetings from 8:30 to noon. There goes free my hours on Saturday.

Noon plus ten minutes. The meetings are over. The team building soup lunch is over. I go back to my office. I shut the door and breathe a sigh in the silence. I pray for peace as I lean my back on the door.....

Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:11-14)

Some days I feel like Elijah. As I say amen, the phone rings.

Artwork: "Whirlwind" by Michael Lightsey