Safety in storms

I can't say that I always agree with the saying "better safe than sorry."

I mean, sure, there are certain times when you really do have to play it on the safe side: always wear your seatbelt, take a hoodie with you everywhere you go in case it's chilly (thanks, Mom), don't always distrust expiration dates—and those are just a few. But there are certain safety precautions that sometimes you just have to overlook.

And on occasion these moments make you realize how much of an idiot you can be.

That was the case this morning, when I decided to venture out and run and ignore the lightning and storm beginning around me. Genius.

I usually don't run in the lightning, but I really needed to get out there this morning. It's been a fairly rough week, and running always lets me escape from stress and anxiety (well, unless it's race day, of course) and spend time alone with my feet and with God. I heard the thunder, but I just kept lacing up my shoes, hoping that it would still be OK for me to get in my mileage before anything major happened. As soon as I stepped out of the breezeway, a huge bolt of lightning lit up the sky.

Thank you, National Geographic, for capturing beautiful danger on camera.

There was no rain falling yet, so I figured that perhaps it would still be safe. My logic obviously works best before the sun comes up.

I started running, and the thunder and lightning just kept on truckin'. And I just kept on ignoring it. I figured the odds of me actually getting struck were quite slim, and I told myself I would just dodge whatever electrical currents tried to come my way, anyway.

Yes, apparently I have those super powers.

I just continued doing what I love, and I got to do another favorite thing of mine at the same time: talk with Jesus. I needed that run more than anything this morning, because I needed to be reminded that I need Him more than anything. Even with all of the chaos surrounding my life right now, He should always be the central focus, and I really hate it when I forget that.

But the reminder hit me this morning more powerfully than any lightning bolt ever could.

I started thinking about the risk I took today, and I decided it was totally worth it. Sometimes there really are situations where you have to forget about what you think is "safe" and walk on the wild side, so to speak. And I think this should be most prominent when it comes to proclaiming the name of Christ. Even when you are among people who don't believe, you have to speak His name. Even when you are afraid to ask someone if you can pray over him or her, you have to let God take control and speak through you. Even when you are scared of sharing the Gospel, you have to allow the Lord's holy message to be proclaimed through you.

"Safe" is sometimes simply a word to describe our comfort zones, and there are too many times in life when we really need to step out of those and simply trust whatever God is asking us to do.

Again, there are obvious safety measures to which we must adhere, but there are still those to which we must not. Is running in lightning always the best idea? Absolutely not. But it was perfect for today—the beautiful streaks across the sky and the loud banging of the thunder made me feel God and His power closer to me when I needed it most.

There are times when it is definitely better to be safe than sorry, and then there are moments where it is better to be brave than safe. When it comes to living for Jesus, I do believe the choice is obvious.

It's silly to try to ignore it, because it will hit you with more force than a lightning bolt and leave a thundering in your heart. Don't sit in safety; follow Him. After all, in His hands is the safest place you will ever be, anyway, regardless of what's surrounding you.

You're my sunshine on a cloudy day

My diva baby sister is one of the most awesome people you will ever meet.

Whenever I attend weddings, my sister is always my plus one. I don't date much (or ever, actually), so I always ask her to tag along with me so that I don't end up awkwardly by myself, accidentally spilling water on some man's khaki pants then realizing it would be even inappropriate to try to clean up the mess (it happened once).

Now, my sister is sometimes socially awkward, especially when she doesn't know many of the people around her. For instance, last weekend at our most recent event, I was in the wedding, which meant that Stephanie had to sit by herself with the other people at our table until I got back from taking wedding party pictures. There were chocolate cake balls at each person's seat, and so she felt the need to announce this to her table by saying out loud: "Choc-o-late balls!" She told me she received no response other than blank stares. Big surprise there.

Best wedding date ever

Needless to say, the night was full of laughter sitting there with my sister in a crowd of people celebrating the love of two of my dear friends. It was such a great night, and I honestly have the Precious Diva (a.k.a. P-Divvy) to thank for the memories we made.

For starters, I got something stuck in my tooth and really needed a toothpick. I jokingly said to my sister, "I know you don't carry toothpicks around everywhere, especially to weddings, but I really need one." She gave me a "how dare you doubt me" look, reached into her diva bag (it is a golden Michael Kors bag that she fittingly named "D"), and pulled out an individually wrapped toothpick that solved my dilemma immediately.

Then, when I started performing "Love Story" for the bride and groom—and the entire room—I think people were a little confused at first as to what was going on, so there was an odd silence, but it's OK, because my sister was there to make frequent shouts.

Sisterhood is such a special bond, and I love the fact that I can always depend on my sister to be there for me, especially when I need her most. Need someone to crack you up when she sends a video she made so that she can make sure her attire is appropriate? Done. Need a pep talk in the hallway? Done. Need someone to remind you that flinging a fork across the room and then trying to pick it up before the waiter isn't a good idea? Done. Need someone to tell you that you're fabulous with a picture that makes you smile every single time? Done. Need a hug and prayer when you're on the verge of tears? Done.

My sister is my best friend, and I would do absolutely anything for her. The Bible says in John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." What amazes me about this is that, even though my sister and I love each other so much, Jesus' love for us is even greater. Not only did He lay down His life for friends, but He also died for those who deny Him every day so that they may one day spend eternal life with the Father when they choose to accept Christ.

Relationships like those between sisters are very important in life, but our relationships with Christ surpass those far beyond measure. He will always be there for us. Whether it's making sure someone is there to give you a toothpick or wrapping His comforting arms around you when it seems like everything in the world is going badly, He will always be there.

Jesus doesn't hide from us, and He wants to be known by us—all we need to do is open our hearts and let Him be.

Great unexpectations

Sometimes the most unexpected things can greatly impact you.

Every day, I have a journal topic for my students. Some days the prompts pertain to the media or other things we're learning, and other times they are rather random. The main objective is simply to get the kids thinking and to get them writing—both important aspects of communication. The students occasionally complain about having to complete these, but I hostly think most of them like it, and it seems to help them get things off their chests when they need to.

A few days ago, the topic was: "Write an encouraging note to someone who needs it." I went to grade all of their journals yesterday, and there was one note a student had written that I never expected—especially from him.

"Dear Merril,

As a teacher, I respect you as both a teacher and a person, which is something I usually don't have towards other teachers. Although your projects are sometimes a pain, your outgoing, and your humor exceeds other teachers. That is all."

I know his grammar wasn't perfect, and he didn't even spell my name correctly, but I'm ignoring that. I honestly had no idea this particular kid would ever think that of me and then actually admit it.

This past week was pretty challenging with our district meet spanning over three days, which meant some late nights—we didn't get back to the school until after 11 on Thursday night. So, by the time Friday finally made an appearance, I was beat, and I knew things weren't going to slow down any time soon. But reading this note was one more reminder of why I love my job—all of the long hours and extra work are worth it when they positively impact even just one kid.

The night before had also made me forget about my fatigue and lost sleep when I was further reminded of why God has placed me where He has. One of my top runners always comes to me before each race and asks for some "words of wisdom," as she calls them. She was about to run the 1600, and she didn't see me nearby. She got this look of panic on her face and said to her teammate, "Where's Merrill?" in a voice like a little kid who has lost her mom at the mall. I assured her I was there, and she calmed down and then came and asked for her pep talk. It still baffles me how much she trusts me in those moments, but it always affirms even more that I'm right where I need to be.

We are all given certain roles and responsibilities in life, and there are times when we have no clue just how many people we are impacting by our words and actions. Am I the best teacher and coach this world has ever seen? Absolutely not. In fact, I often think I'm horrible. But, for some reason, God has put me where He has for a greater purpose, and He's going to use me however necessary. All that's left to do is trust.

While we are unknowingly impacting others, we are also being impacted by people in our lives who don't necessarily realize the marks they're making—it's a beautifully fabulous thread of blessings.

Broken crayons

There is something so fascinating about crayons.

I love coloring. It's such a huge stress relief to open up a coloring book and dominate those pages. While markers can be used for outlining and whatnot, it is much more sensible and appropriate to use crayons. They won't bleed through the pages, and they definitely make a person feel a lot more like a kid again.

Thanks to Crayola, coloring is made even more fun with such a variety of colors, many of which are uniquely named: "tickle me pink," "purple mountain's majesty," "robin egg blue," "neon carrot," "macaroni and cheese," "mango tango," "fuzzy wuzzy brown," "atomic tangerine," and many more that just make you smile when you take them out of the box.

Small box, big possibilities.

But, even if some of the crayons in the box look like they are the same (I mean, how many stinkin' purples can there be??), when you start to use them, you can see just how different they really are. It's fabulous.

One thing that is frustrating about crayons is how fragile they are. When I was coloring the other day (yes, 27 is still the perfect age to color), I guess I pressed too hard (I'm freakishly strong), and my beautiful cerulean crayon snapped in half. This was double sad, because cerulean is definitely one of my faves—it's a beyond-gorgeous color. But, alas, I knew the one solution that always bailed me out of these situations when I was a little kid.

Tape.

Sure, it doesn't completely fix the problem, because the crayon is still essentially broken, and you have to be super careful when you're using it, but it sure beats trying to stay inside the lines with half of a stick of wax.

I think people are a lot like crayons—we are all unique in our own special ways, yet we are also tremendously fragile. We've all been broken at some point in our lives or another, and we often feel like we are being held together with transparent tape. But we don't need the tape we use on crayons to try to keep us intact—we have someone here to repair us and restore us, making us even more beautiful than we were in our original forms.

A picture of beauty.

And, just like crayons, people can use their unique gifts to work together and create something lovely and magical. We can color pictures for God so breathtaking that they could never be contained in children's coloring books.

I think it's important to color your best for God every single day, knowing that He will make sure to take you in His loving arms when you're broken and defeated—and His redeeming love lasts far beyond that of simple office supply tape.