The Stuff You Use

She knew how her day would go from the way it started out.
She overslept because she forgot to set her alarm.
She hurried through her morning routine trying to accomplish it in half the time.
She jumped into the shower without waiting for the water to get hot.

In the rush to wash her hair, she got shampoo in her eye.
She lathered herself with soap and rinsed quickly.
She could not wait to get warm with a fluffy towel.
She opened the shower door and realized that she never grabbed a towel before hopping in.

She got out, shivering, and left wet footprints all over the bathroom floor.
She grabbed a towel from the linen closet.
She dried herself and applied lotion on her legs and moisturizer on her face.
She brushed her teeth quickly, leaving globs of toothpaste in the sink.

She stood at her dressing table and began to do her minimal make-up.
She put a hint of blush on her cheekbones and began to put eye shadow on her eyes.
As she was putting on her mascara, she stuck the wand in her other eye.
She looked at her bloodshot eyes and knew there was nothing she could do.

She pulled out the dress she wanted to wear.
She quickly got a pair of sandals out of her closet.
Then she decided to check the weather, since it looked dreary and rainy outside.
The temperature had dropped; fall was coming.

It was too soon for leggings and dark colored tights.
She would pull out a pair of flesh colored stockings just so her legs would not get chilly.
She had not put tights or stockings on all summer.
It felt awkward to put them over her toes and pull them up over her legs.

She was not taking her time.
She was moving too fast.
She snagged her stocking.
She noticed that her stocking had a run in it.

She went to the drawer and realized that she did not have any clear nail polish to stop the run.
It was too late to do anything about it now.
She could take her stockings off later.
She could wear them with the run in them.

She looked at the clock and decided she had time to eat a quick breakfast.
She decided to scramble two eggs.
She had some vegetables she could scramble in as well, along with a bit of cheese.
Her quasi-omelette would have to do.

Cracking the eggs was usually her specialty.
This day in her rush, the shells broke in tiny pieces, which fell into her eggs.
She pulled out what pieces she could find.
She knew that she would probably swallow a few.

She did not even know how her eggs tasted since she ate them so fast.
She left her dishes in the sink.
She filled a travel mug with cold water.
She grabbed her purse and her keys and headed out the door.

She put her purse over her shoulder as she fiddled with her keys to push the unlock button.
She put the travel mug on the roof of her car as she grabbed a few things out of the back seat.
She left those things in the garage and would deal with them later.
She turned the key, started the car, reversed, and drove away.

She was pretty proud of herself.
She got ready in record time.
She did not want to repeat that morning ever again; but somehow she made it.
Maybe no one would notice the run in her stocking.

She remembered that she left the lunch that she made the night before in her refrigerator.
She would have to buy lunch today.
She could still imagine the delicious lunch she was going to have.
She would just have it for her dinner that night.

She saw the traffic jam up ahead.
She knew that even though she got ready in record time, she would still be late.
She just knew the day was going to be a bunch of little challenges.
Nothing life altering, but annoying and unwelcome nonetheless.

She tried to pray but she was so distracted and out of sorts.
She prayed that her heart and her spirit would be calm.
She prayed that she would not get there too late.
She promised herself that checking her alarm would be the last thing she did that night.

She had no idea why there was a traffic jam.
She was getting more and more agitated inside.
She looked over at the car in the other lane.
A woman with a child in a car seat was in the lane next to her.

She saw something on the roof of the woman’s car.
Before she could get her attention, the woman’s lane of traffic moved up a bit.
She saw the diaper bag in the middle of the roof rack.
It slid back a little when the woman drove ahead, but it was still there.

She hoped that someone else in the line of traffic would point it out to her.
She must have been running late, too, she thought.
She chided herself because she only had had to worry about getting herself ready.
This woman had herself and a child to think about.

She was beginning to despise the clock.
She was annoyed that she was dictated by time.
She wanted a few days of want-to instead of have-to.
She did not even know what she would do if someone gave her a few of those days.

She was now officially late.
She reached the parking lot.
As she was leaning over to get her purse, the run in her stocking grew bigger.
She took her stockings off right then and there and left them on the floor of her car.

She wondered if the woman reached her destination with the diaper bag intact.
She lost sight of her in the line of cars.
She grabbed her purse and had her keys in her hand so she could lock the door.
She got out and saw it; she left her travel mug on the top of her car the entire way.

There it was in the middle of her roof rack.
Still standing.
Still cold.
Ready to drink.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28, 29)

She thought of how the travel mug withstood the entire car ride.
It never toppled over.
It was still standing.
And so was she.

The Lord was holding her even though she overslept.
He was holding her through blood shot eyes, swallowed eggs shells, and a run in her stocking.
She could face this day because the Lord was with her.
She grabbed her travel mug, took a sip of cold water, and walked across the parking lot.

I lost my keys in the great unknown
And call me please ’cause I can’t find my phone

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that’s getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I’m blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I’ve gotta trust You know exactly what You’re doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use

Forty-five in a thirty-five
Sirens and fines while I’m running behind
Whoa

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that’s getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I’m blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I’ve gotta trust You know exactly what You’re doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use

To break me of impatience
Conquer my frustrations
I’ve got a new appreciation
It’s not the end of the world
Oh Oh Oh

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff
Someone save me
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I’m blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
And I’ve gotta trust You know exactly what You’re doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use

Oh oh oh oh
This is the stuff You use

(This is the Stuff, by Francesca Battistelli)