The empty box

It’s the strangest thing. Yesterday while I was pondering what to make for dinner, I happened to look at the calendar. I don’t know why the calendar of all things. I obviously wasn’t going to get any inspiration there. But as I scanned the dates I came across this weekend. And there it was…

An empty box! Saturday, December 6^th was completely void of any things to do, places to go or people to see. Refusing to believe it, I poked my head past the refrigerator to Ryan who was standing slaving over a hot stove making food for his potluck today. “What do you have going on this weekend?” He paused for a moment, spatula in hand… “Nothing I can think of.”

What?! Could it really be true? Was there really a possibility that we had a whole entire Saturday to ourselves? As I relished at the thought I started to wonder. What on earth are we going to do all day? Then my heart started pounding, my breath quickened. I felt… lost.

Empty boxes on our calendar don’t happen very often. I wasn’t sure how to handle it. Not to worry. Within a few minutes my to-do list kicked in. I thought of the two dozen Christmas cookies in the freezer waiting to be frosted and the numerous other Christmas goodies I want to make. There’s always the basement of course. And laundry. And cleaning the fish tank (Twizzler has been more than a little lethargic lately.) And picking up the house. And playing with the dog. And hanging the Christmas lights I swore would get done before it got this cold. And… well, you get the idea.

I almost wrote “catch-up day” on the calendar, but I like the freedom of the empty box.

Side note:

Check out Danielle Fox. She was featured on the channel 13 news last night for her work with Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. It’s an organization of photographers who donate their time to take pictures of newborns that are so special God has bigger plans for them. Oh, how I would love to be a part of this cause, but I’m not sure my heart could take it.