I’ve (DeAnna) been trying to immerse myself in books, quotes and Scripture about joy!  So,  I’m starting to wonder, if you pray for joy do you get more opportunities to find joy in the not so joyful situations?  We all know, if you pray for patience, you get more opportunities to practice being patient.

I recently had a birthday, which was the last day of our trip to Orlando for our debrief time at the Wycliffe USA Headquarters.  Normally David and I are low key on our birthdays.  I usually make a special dinner and attempt shoo fly pie on his birthday.  I requested Pizza Hut for lunch before we went to the airport as my birthday present.  We had been seeing Pizza Hut signs, so I thought it was an easy request.  After driving around for a long time, we couldn’t find a Pizza Hut that had a dining area, only the to go Pizza Hut’s and I didn’t want to eat in the car.  We were running out of time and had to go on to the airport without Pizza Hut.  After we checked in at the airport, we had a long wait.  We found our departing gate and along the way, passed a place called Xpress Spa.  The store offered quick massage, manicures and pedicures.  David said he would like for me to be able to get a pedicure for my birthday.  (It’s been 3 years since I’ve had a pedicure and I only wore sandals for 2 years, so since the price was right, I decided to go for it.)  I went and asked about the pedicures.  I was told there was an opening in about an hour and to come back then.  I thought it would work out because that left me with an hour to receive the pedicure and she said it would only take 30 minutes.  When the hour arrived to return to the store, I did and was seated to wait.  As I waited, I saw the lady walk to the food court, stand in line for quite a while to get her venti Starbuck’s drink.  She returned, smiled and walked to the back of the store.  I looked at my watch and 20 minutes had went by and I knew if the pedicure didn’t start immediately it would be too late.  She came out from the back and I approached her asking when the pedicure would start and she said maybe in 15 minutes.  I explained I needed to board the plane and wouldn’t have time.  She offered a quick sorry and I left the store.

I was ready at that point to get back to Missouri and call it a day.