Hello there, friend!
Have you ever asked yourself any of the following questions?
a.) “Now, what do I do?”
b.) “What on earth am I supposed to be doing now?”
c.) “Does this life make my butt look big?”
d.) All of the above
I can tell you I am the QUEEN of questions A and B. Complete with a crown and scepter, and royal mantle. I had an experience, though, that helped me figure out what I should be doing at a given moment. It involves a dog, a snake, several children, a traveler—and a hurricane.
Full disclosure: This message is NOT meteorologist approved!
Perhaps you are acquainted with dealing with hurricanes? In case you are not, let me set the stage.
The kids are wild with excitement! School has been canceled, and all of the outdoor furniture (along with several tagalong lizards) is in your family room, bedroom, and wherever it will fit. Depending on the severity of the storm, you might have storm shutters up, blocking out every iota of sunlight there is. You can find all the candles, flashlights, and batteries on the kitchen counter. The pantry is filled with nonperishable foods, much of it junk. You may have concocted a makeshift toilet in case . . .
One particular hurricane years ago, it might have been Wilma, we had a mishmash of people at our house. That’s what happens during hurricanes. You get mishmashes of people together. My husband’s business partner, Chuck, and his wife, Linda, and their family live just around the corner. Our two families have been good friends for years. It just so happened that Chuck was out of the country for work purposes at the time, so my husband, Kevin, was trying to batten down the hatches of our two houses, plus their company’s.
Add one of their friends (Suzanne) and her two young children to the mix. Her husband happened to be gone at the time as well. Along with them came Suzanne’s son’s pet ball python. Yay.
Now, I can’t remember exactly who this young woman, previously referred to as the “traveler,” was, but I know she was staying at the home of another coworker of my husband’s. The coworker was gone (where did all these people go??), and the young traveler was staying at her house, taking care of her rather large boxer.
Between our house and Chuck & Linda’s house, we managed to distribute these various humans and their critters. We were the lucky recipients of the snake and dog. The snake, who had a common name like “Jeff,” came with us because the other house had cats, and we all thought that was a bad combination. Jeff came to us in a glass aquarium, and I put him in my closet. Why? I knew we’d lose power, and the closet would stay cool enough for Jeff’s liking. I never thought I’d be catering to a snake someday.
I recall just as the storm was starting to whip up, the traveler told me she either had a medical condition or took a prescription that could possibly cause her to _________________. This is blank because, once again, my memory is a bit foggy, and I don’t remember what she “might” do. I just know it caused me a bit more anxiety.
A house full of wild kids, lizards, a snake, a dog, and a traveler with a medical condition with a major hurricane barreling for our home. What’s to be nervous about?
The storm was no joke. We made it through the “first half” with everything and everyone intact. Here’s where it gets a bit more interesting.
It was the eye of the hurricane. All was calm on the Thomas front. Kevin decided he would run over to Chuck’s house and see how that contingency of his charge was fairing. I think the lot of kids went with him. Traveler? I have no idea what happened to her at this moment. I just knew I found myself alone with a snake in my closet and a 60-pound boxer looking me straight in the eyes.
“Now, what do I do??”
I remember in that moment of chaos, stopping and breathing and maybe even saying out loud, “What do I do now?” And from somewhere came a still, small voice that said, “Do the next thing.”
What would the next thing be?
It didn’t take me long to figure out that my canine houseguest needed the bathroom, and my makeshift toilet wasn’t what she was looking for. I found her leash and took her outside for a potty break and a leg stretch. Many neighbors were doing the same with their dogs.
Now, I googled it, and you are not supposed to go outside when you’re in the eye of a hurricane, so maybe don’t follow my lead exactly. But we were careful to ensure we were back in place when the storm resumed because we knew we were in for the worst part of the storm with the second half.
You know me, I like to take the circuitous route to my point. That was one of the first times I had to stop, breathe, and figure out the next thing. And that still small voice—what was that? Who was that? My own good sense? Maybe, but I didn’t feel very sensical at the time. My gut? Could be. But, I have grown to believe that the Holy Spirit was helping me to know what to do next. I’ve gotten better, not perfect, but better at listening for that voice more often.
There is an old poem called “The Next Thing.” I believe we don’t know who the author is, but it was popularized by a woman named Elisabeth Elliot. Have you heard of her? And there is a book and whole podcast series by Emily P. Freeman called “Do the Next Right Thing.” These two women are far more eloquent than I am and no doubt can say this without mention of snakes named Jeff. (Who, btw, came through the hurricane famously!)
So, this is just a little story to encourage you. When life feels overwhelming, stop. Breathe. And listen for that still, small voice trying to tell you something.
And then do the next thing!
Has anything similar ever happened to you? I’d love to hear about it!
Written with love – – Patti XOXO
From an old English parsonage down by the sea
There came in the twilight a message to me;
Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,
Hath, it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.
And on through the doors the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration: “DO THE NEXT THING.”
(These are just the opening lines to the poem.)