THE STEADY FLOW

365 Days of Thanksliving — Day 156

With the kind of day I’ve had today, banging out a blog post should be as easy as an “Easy-Bake” cake. (Who else remembers those questionable lightbulb-cooked treats from the 70s and 80s? We basically ate half-baked batter and called it a delicacy). But tonight? My mind is as blank as the white screen before me, with the cursor blinking away like a tiny, rhythmic heartbeat demanding I start doing something productive with my fingers.

I’m currently just typing empty words, hoping the steady flow begins—clueless, brainless, yet feeling suspiciously full, refreshed, and gratefully content. I think that’s a byproduct of what began last night. Okay. Here goes. Let the steady flow begin…

If you read last night’s blog, you know the nightmarish sleep that kicked off my week. Thank goodness the Lord heard my prayers and granted me a wonderful night’s rest. No kidding, I prayed and prayed for sleep. The irony is that I started my bedtime prayers four separate times, falling asleep mid-sentence every single time.

I’d wake up, apologize to God for the lapse in manners, and begin again: lather, rinse, repeat. I think the fourth time was the charm. I don’t remember anything after that, right up until my bladder sounded the alarm to fill the loo a few hours into the nightly reset.

Honestly, last night was just… ahhhh! (You know that relief of a steady flow… don’t pretend you don’t). There’s something to be said for sleeping almost the whole night through.

Now, don’t get me wrong. My body is becoming "vintage"—like a fine wine, except the cork is starting to leak. With a bladder the size of a tangerine and the elasticity of a balloon that’s been through three birthday parties, getting up to hit the loo is a mandatory scheduled event. But one minor interruption aside, I awoke this morning well-rested, actually beating the alarm clock to the punch for once.

I think far too often I take a good night’s sleep for granted. I’ve probably written about this before—with this being Day 156, who knows? I might be repeating myself, but at 57, that’s practically my prerogative. In all seriousness, the quality of your sleep (or lack thereof) changes the entire trajectory of your day.

Work this morning was a bit "blah," but the afternoon made up for it. I visited two ladies who live side-by-side, and I literally just hopped from one door to the next. Next thing I knew, three hours had evaporated. When the 5 PM news started, I realized I needed to get home to the wife, if only for an hour.

Sometimes ministry doesn’t feel like "work" at all; it’s just people doing life together and enjoying the company. I’m convinced that afternoon was so productive simply because I wasn't operating on a sleep-deprived brain. It was just more of that steady flow.

After a quick pit stop at home, I was back at the church for a VBS meeting. The volunteers are already lining up, and I have a feeling this year might be one for the record books. Another 75 minutes later, I finally walked back through my front door to the glorious scent of a warm bowl of jambalaya.

Thank you, Danielle! I truly can’t do what I do without her. She is the perfect partner in ministry, ministering to me so I can go out and minister to everyone else. She’s the ultimate "steady flow" in my life, keeping me fueled so I can keep going for the Lord.

Today, I’m thankful for the things that keep life moving: a great night’s rest, a supportive wife, and yes, even the steady flow of… well, you know. We have to laugh at the plumbing, or we'd just cry, right?

See ya tomorrow on the flip side. I hope your night is restful and your tomorrow is as wonderful as my today was.