the devil lives in my daughters' closets

lionel richie had a song called "easy like sunday morning". great song, but the title itself is a contradiction. sundays are anything but easy. apparently, mr. richie never tried getting 2 young divas ready for church.

i've become convinced that the devil will do anything and everything to prevent a person from going to church on sundays. in the past, he's forced me to sleep late, caused fights, and (when ella was younger) made dirty diapers occur just seconds before walking out the door.

this morning, the devil somehow made his way into the girls' closets. he stole a shoe and shrunk some dresses. first of all, madelyn had a sandal to mysteriously disappear. and i mean, we searched everywhere. in the back of her closet, under her bed, in the shoe holder on the back of her door, in the honda, in the nissan, in ella's closet, under ella's bed, in the toy basket downstairs, in my closet, in suitcases. so i merely suggested she wear a different pair of shoes and the world suddenly came crashing down.

"no, i'll just wear another outfit."
"no, you'll just wear different shoes."
"but i want the piiiiiiiiink ones!!!!"

the devil rears his ugly head.

next, i went into ella's room. and it's the strangest thing: all of ella's dresses had mysteriously shrunk. not a single one fit. i swear the child had more clothes than that. the first hit right below her butt. the next could've been worn as a shirt. the white one had a stain, the turquoise one had a rip, last year's easter dress still fits but the shoes don't. and when i pulled out the denim one, ella wrinkled her nose.

"i don't want that one."

we settled on a pale pink one that needed ironing. it didn't get ironed.

how is it that the devil seems to strike when we're at our weakest? when we're vulnerable? when he knows he can get us? that moment hits me almost every sunday morning. i'm rushed, i'm frantic, but i'm trying my best to do the lord's will...and he absolutely hates it.

so with a wrinkled dress, the "wrong" shoes, and my hair looking as crazy as i feel...we made it to church. on time, even. sorry, devil...you lose.