Aurora Borealis

The last time I went to the River Valley Bank drive through, I was left with the irritating farewell of, "Have an incredible day!"  Really?  "Have an 'incredible' day?"  Wow!  When was the last time I had an "incredible" day?

Well, I stewed on this for awhile.  At first I thought, the last time I had an "incredible" day was the day Brittany was born, 14 years ago!  Every day since has been rather boring, routine, mundane. I've had plenty of incredibly "bad" days, that's for sure.  I thought about my mom's illness, my sister's divorce, the problems with my own kids, the struggles with my work, and I thought, "yes, I have had many "incredibly" BAD days, thank you!  And, with going to work, laundry, grocery shopping, vacuuming, changing sheets, dusting, window cleaning, and all the minutia of life, every day is just "average" at best.  Or so I thought...

When I was driving home from work last night thinking about this, all of a sudden, the sky filled with light.  The light was rolling wave upon wave, different colors, pink, green, yellow, white....Then up and down steaks, like the kind left-over from fireworks, then horizontal steaks, like the kinds waves would make.  Suddenly, I realized I was witnessing the "Aurora Borealis."  The "Northern Lights."  I turned my radio off.  I didn't want anything to distract me from this view. 

I suddenly felt humbled. I felt ashamed.  How could I think that I haven't had an "incredible" day!  God has given me incredible days and moments every day of my life! What about the time Kayla sang "The Chipmunk" song solo when she was 4 years old?  What about the time Tyler woke up and told me about his dream when he was only two?  What about the days when Brittany smiled when Tyler walked into the room and she would run and grab his hand and look up and smile and play with him all day long?  What about the time my dad fell in love again and got married and I saw him truly happy again?  What about the day my sister had two baby girls after being told she would never, ever get pregnant?   What about the time my brother and his new wife had their baby boy after giving up hope and deciding to adopt?  What about the time Tom looked at me and asked me to go to the high school dance with him when I was only 15 years old, and told me that he loved me a few years later?

These are just a few, a fraction, a rare glimpse, into the number of "incredible" days or moments I've had. There are too many to list! How dare I scoff at the River Valley Bank tellers for their prescribed recital of "Have an incredible day."  What gall I have!

God showed me this night, though the Northern Lights, that each day holds something incredible.  And I hope, Kayla, you are never so ungrateful or unaware like I am, to think that your life is average and ordinary.  I hope you hear God every morning and are filled with the understanding that each day is incredible!

I think the River Valley Bank girls are spot on!  To all:  "Have an INCREDIBLE day!"