February 17

Click here for today's Forward Day by Day reading: http://prayer.forwardmovement.org/the_daily_readings.php?d=17&m=2&y=2013

My daughter and I are visiting Harry Potter World this weekend as a special mother-daughter treat. I can tell you that it's a whole lot easier to visit a theme park with an 11-year-old than it used to be when she and her brother were littles. Preparing to go out for the day required detailed planning and logistics — a good night's rest and often times, several glasses of wine. There was the stroller, of course, and that was always laden with utensils. But the best stuff-keeper was this orange backpack I bought at Kmart. It had pockets all OVER the front. Zip pockets, velcro...mesh pockets, side pockets, top pockets under pockets. Lots of room for stuff. And as the mother of two little people, I made sure each one of them contained carefully packed items: band-aids, itch cream, pacifiers, snacks, wipes, diapers, hand sanitizer, cameras, diversions, changes of clothes, balms, ointments, pins, papers, art supplies. I think there was even a small pocket for wine. Maybe I wished there had been.

Now, I put a credit card in my pocket. And that's all there is to it.

I think part of this Lenten experiment is to walk boldly into any situation. If some frazzled, wine-totin', half-cocked mom can pack well enough to get two children under five through the Magic Kingdom, surely our God has done a far better job making sure his kiddos are well prepared for their daily grind. What confidence that should give us! It almost makes me excited to get to the next crossroad of my day. What a thrill to face a situation boldly and know that in some pocket that zips, velcros or buttons open — is the perfect solution. Thanks to the Master Packer, that is!