[Nevertheless] I Did Anyway [Advent 15]

I didn't want to get out of bed this morning. Every part of my body hurt. Although I fell asleep quickly and slept deeply for several hours, I didn't feel at all rested. 

Nevertheless, there were boxes of food to put away, errands to run, and a teenager to drive to a friend's house. 

I wanted to just leave the boxes for another day, but I also didn't want them to be in the way.
I couldn't put off errands, as they were for the event I was hosting later in the day.
And the teenager had made plans and I'd agreed to drive, so I had to.

I didn't want to deal with the boxes of food going to our church food pantry and our @ the table closet. Nevertheless, I didn't want to leave them in the van either. And I was going to church for Second Saturday Paint anyway.

Speaking of which, I didn't want to host a paint night. I wanted to be in my bed, covered in heating pads, napping.

But once I was there, painting, chatting, and watching others create beautiful and adorable ornaments, I was glad I was there and had a wonderful time. 

I didn't want to clean up, but I had to. Not only because it's just the right thing to do, but because I love our church, appreciate the use of the space, and want to leave it nice and clean for Sunday morning.

I didn't want to make dinner, but I really wanted orange chicken. I mean, really wanted it REALLY badly, so I made it. Well, I made the sauce. My husband made the rice and cut up the already cooked chicken to add to the sauce.

I didn't want to do so many things to day, and because I did, I'm now paying a hefty price. I'm laying in bed in more pain than I can put into words. My heart is racing. I'm struggling to breathe properly. I had to updose on my steroids in hopes of getting things under control.

I didn't want to, but because I did, my teenager had a really good day with a friend and returned happy, and with chocolate for her mother. Because I did, my eleven year old had a wonderful time with church friends and created some amazing things. Because I did, my children got some sibling-free time ... and two of my children got the house to themselves for uninterrupted video and computer gaming fun. And because I did, I had a fantastic day.