if you are not from tampa, you might not get it.  i am not FROM tampa, but in my years here i have become aware of it.  the legend of lee roy selmon.  from the years of mediocrity and badness perpetuated by the old school creamsicle buccaneers, he emerged as one of the few bright shining stars.  sure, there were others.  but they did not get a highway named after them.    a super efficient toll-road no less.

for our purposes, we are not focused on lee roy’s football prowess but rather one of the things that people remembered about lee roy selmon after he died.  many remembered that he always told people that he wanted them to know not WHO he was but WHOSE he was.

yesterday, i told a friend that i would buy a plane ticket for her.  (she is actually a blog reader…hello, friend!)  the reason she needed my help is very complicated and involves the difficulty of processing any transaction WHATSOEVER from Haiti.   but, i didn’t do it before i went to tumbling because i didn’t have her kids’ passport numbers.  add in a trip to tumbling, two preschoolers, a massive migraine and next thing i know i am waking up in a PANIC at 2:30 in the morning because i have forgotten.  i had forgotten and now i lost her held reservation and her held price.  i had just the one thing to do, and it was epic failure.  i SHOT out of bed (waking long-suffering st. vincent) and began to try to fix it.

a number of things had to collude to produce this failure.  my cell phone died.  the cord that goes into my charger was in the office.  there was a massive headache and corresponding medication.  at 2:30 am, when i was realizing that the seats were now $200 more and i couldn’t get my credit card to work and pay for them, it seemed like a laundry list of ways that i had totally fumbled this one.

when i got back into bed (still without a completed ticket purchase despite an above-average amount of time on the computer and a call to the reservations center), i just couldn’t get over it.  what a complete mess i had made.  how many things that had to be out of line in order for this to happen.   the thought that if i just hadn’t overlooked ONE of the elements it could have been avoided.  if ONLY i had charged my cell phone.  if ONLY i had brought the charger out.  if ONLY i had written it on my hand as a reminder.  if ONLY.  finally, with no energy left, i just said, “i am turning this over to jesus.  i am casting my cares on him.”  i remembered that it doesn’t matter if i am complete failure.  i am still a child of the King.  it doesn’t matter if my cakes NEVER rise or my soufflés ALWAYS fall*.  i belong to Him.   i am not defined by WHO i am but WHOSE i am.

this morning, when i woke, my call to the stupid airline made clear that my transaction had still not gone through.  but, as i was waiting to hear why and how to fix it, my sweet friend called to tell me that she had realized that i was a complete failure and had actually found a BETTER, CHEAPER reservation.  she called just in time for me to buy that one instead.  and my charge went through to the tune of even $100 cheaper than the one she had found.  because of my failure, she got a better flight for $500 cheaper.  and the truth was clear.  the one to whom i belong had been in charge all along.

so, i think lee roy had it right.   in addition to his ability to COMPLETELY sport the orange, this wonder knew an important lesson about your place in the world.  already loved.  already beautiful.  already important.  all the rest, even a hall-of-fame football career, is just IN ADDITION.

so, here is the challenge:  where in your life do you need to remember WHOSE you are?  where do you need to stop struggling and pulling and just remember that you are loved?  even if you aren’t a God person, love surrounds you…i know.  people who love you just as you are.  where have you forgotten that?  at the very least, i adore you.  (i especially adore you if you follow my blog!)  so, REMEMBER YOU ARE LOVED!

*i have never ever made a soufflé.  but it worked as an image.  so i go on record as a total faker and not a soufflé baker.   i also realize that i switched from football to food metaphors.  it must have been the image of creamsicles in my mind.  such are the writings of the completely random!!