"Only Gwen"!!

Well yesterday was deff one that won't be forgotten soon! And as my one aunt and a dear friend said, "Only Gwen!" Grab your asprin...you're gonna need it!!

Sunday nite I left right after church to go to a friends house where I've been working the past few months. Got up Monday and worked until after 11 that nite. Got up Tuesday and worked again until a little after 3 when I was to leave. But things got kinda hectic and I was asked this and that and things kinda feel apart from there on out. Going on 4 I was finally getting ready to get into the truck when I dropped a heavyish item on my foot and it landed smack on my toe. It started to bleed and it really hurt. The whole way home it throbbed and throbbed. I was supposed to have left at 3 so I could get home in time to feed my kids, shower and get dressed to go back up to Belleville so Jetta could sing in the Revival services that were going on. As it was, due to the construction on the road and all the numerous other things that occured, I didn't walk in the door until 5:45. I was to leave at 6:15 for Belleville.

Kal came to pick up Reag and Eth for their ball practice/scrimmage and I ran upstairs with Bia to get changed as I no longer had time to shower. First outfit didn't match right so off it came. Second outfit went better and I quickly threw clothes on Beeps, combed her hair and realized that my hands were still paint covered and my nails were black due to the stain I'd be using (yes, mom...without gloves!!). So I ran into the bathroom and scrubbed my hands. Didn't work. I was running outa time. I grabbed Bia and we flew down the steps, foot killing me in my church shoes and out the door we ran. 6:20. I locked the door...looked down at my feet and realized I had on cream hose instead of white to go with the outfit. ugh! Now all my lady friends know that there is a vast difference between white and cream. You can't mix em.

I moaned...said, com'on Beeps we gotta go back inside. Up the stairs we both flew. Yanked open my dresser drawer to realize there were no white hose. What to do?? I went to digging and found another type of hosiery item that was a more neutral color and put that on only to realize that they were gonna fall down the minute I took a step. I said to myself, girl....you're gonna be walking up to that piano and down they are gonna fall...you really want that?? Nope, says I, not gonna work. Those came off only for me to realize that my poor toe was bleeding again and was killing me. I ran to the closet and found a pair of white sandals and attempted to put them on which only added to the aggravation of the hurting toe. I thought...girl, you gotta get out of here...ignore your toe. So Beeps and I ran back out the door. 6:40.

By the time I got to the church in Belleville, after driving 90 most of the way and praying that God would help the cop that might stop me to realize I was on my way to church and it was all for a good cause (LOL), my foot was NOT going back in my sandals which I'd taken off. I was in a quandry of what to do. I decided it wasn't worth the pain and decided to go in barefoot and carrying the sandals so at least the ppl there wouldn't think I was too poor and couldn't afford shoes.

I was a nervous wreck. We were almost late for church to start; in fact...got there right as the pastor was getting up. My hands were ice cold and sweating. I asked my cousin when the special was and she informed me and I sat there and prayed the whole way through. Lord, you know that we were asked to do this and we consented and I don't know why my nite went like this but you can use the song and PLEASE help them to not be offened when I walk up there.

The pastor brings attention to the fact that I was there and it was our time. I felt like squirming under the bench. I grabbed the song and marched up front like I was Sandi Patti!!! Jetta got her michrophone and I put the song on the bench and looked down at my feet. There sat the pastor and their visiting evangelist right on the front row!! I knew I had to explain the absence of shoes! So I launched into my story!!! And what was worse was that my feet had been hurting while working anyway so they were all stained and looked terrible. LOL!!! I told my story and informed them that I did in fact own shoes and soap and they neednt feel sorry for me but I wanted to apologize for looking like I did!!! Everyone was laughing (well at least the ones I dared to look at) and I went on to say how the song said to let the storms and dark clouds come...they don't worry me cause I'm sheltered in the arms of God. No matter how stressed out we become or how things just don't seem to work right...God know why and He has it all under control! That's what is so exciting about being a child of His!

We finished the song and I went back to my seat shaking!! The pastor (who is a gr8 friend of ours) got up and said he was glad we'd made it and did that song...barefeet and all...cause it spoke to him. :-) I'm thinking...ok, you're allowed to be compassionate cause you knwo me but what is this poor evangelist from God's Bible school area gonna think? Wonder of wonders he got up and said, "I'm glad the sister made it as well. And in my neck of the woods (Ohio) barefeet fit in just fine!" :0)

After church the pastor walked back, shook my hand and said, "I'm so glad you're still Gwen!" His wife and my aunt looked at me and said, "Only Gwen!!!" LOL!!! I begged them to please not tell my mom!!! They both agreed but as I've just put it on here...... (sorry mom!! LOL!!! I really do try to be finesse but it just doesn't work out too well!)

This gets chalked up to a first for me.....
I went to a church and played the piano in my bare, stained feet with black fingernails, paint all over my arms and hands and shaking like crazy!!!