Journey with Julie

Thursday morning...much like other mornings. Getting kids ready for school, breakfast, coffee, checking in with Todd before he leaves and then getting Raney ready for her preschool. She and I started off...and then the flashing lights behind me caught my attention.

"Oh no...here we go again" I thought to myself.

You see, I am driving around with expired license plate tags....Yes, I can hear the gasps all around. I could share the multiple reasons why- but then you would be as bored as the police officer who stopped me. This is my 3rd time stopped for this same reason. So...I decide to take matters into my own hands rather than waiting on Todd to do it. Obviously that is just not working out for me.

I drop Raney off at her school, call my best friend in Alabama to vent my frustrations and pump myself up to go hang out at the DMV. I take my number just like everyone else, watch the myriad of people go up to the counters, and I wait patiently for A10 to be served. I spend my time trying to guess which window will I get to go to.

And then...my number is called! I go up to the window, give him all the required information and find out....I am not Todd Phillips- just the wife....who is not on the title for the car that is driven by the wife- at all times. So....I cannot renew the license plate registration. I chuckle to myself...walk out dialing my best friend in Alabama again to talk about how frustrating it is to try and get things done but unable to because nothing is in our name...except for the birth of our precious, painful at the time, children.

I get off the phone to treat myself to coffee....whooo hoooo! Dunkin Donuts here I come. I walk up and see a paper sign "Cash only Today". Criminy! No cash in this purse- just plastic. I cannot believe it- thwarted again!

So I call my friend (hopefully for the last time today) and she jokingly says, "What, they didn't allow you to buy coffee?" And I tell her what the sign said- she burst into laughter and I just had to join in. I mean, what else can you do?

And of course, all the while my radio is playing a song "There is a God" by 33 Miles. I think to myself Romans 8:31 "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

And I laugh because the joy of the Lord is my strength- even in the monotony of meaningless trials...and I smile because through the meaningless trials, I am reminded of God's promises and his gift of life to me.