Little Reminders

So there have been many times in my adult life when I have been reminded that God prefers humility. Times when I've been cursing other drivers on the freeway only to get pulled over at the next intersection. Or when I've been preening around my office only to realize I've spent the entire day with my dress unzipped. You know, little divine taps on the shoulder saying "Not so fast ...."

Like tonight. After dinner I persuaded the kids to walk to the park at the end of our street to try out Sam's remote control airplane. The whole time we're walking the six blocks I'm thinking "This is great. Why don't we do this every night! What a great idea. So much better than flopping in front of the TV or playing video games all night."

And then ...

Minutes after getting to the park Sam pilots his plane into a tree and it snaps. Shortly after I have some sort of allergic reaction that causes me to sneeze until my eyes are burning and ropes of snot are dripping from my nose. Jake has to take his shirt off so I have something to wipe my nose with. Then Jake falls off his bike and slices open his knee.

So we trudge back up the hill toward home. Me, blowing my nose on Jake's shirt, holding Sam's broken plane while Sam pushes Jake's bike up the hill and Abby trails behind ... through a patch of poison ivy.