Car breaks down...
Mom falls...dislocates her shoulder and whacks her head.
Mom's dementia accelerates...
Car breaks down...again.
Washing machine's sensor malfunctions...house floods. All the
floors are warping and need to be replaced.
Car breaks down...again! (Why can't they find the source of
the problem???)
AC is down...again. (Hey, it's 80+ degrees here! And it's pollen season until the end of March!)
Dishwasher breaks...
Front door has issues...
Rowdy, my dog and constant companion for 11 years, has
been diagnosed with lesion(s) on his brain...
Mediation for our home is in 2 weeks...(after a 5 year battle
with the bank)
All these things are DISTRACTIONS!
They distract me from the really important stuff...
They have inhibited my creative spirit...
Yes, occasionally, I feel sorry for myself...occasionally, I dwell on the bad stuff (and there's a lot more, I could list)...but then, I am reminded of the wonderful family I have...my loving husband...three well-grounded sons...sweet daughters-in-law...a beautiful granddaughter...a strong marriage...a man who joyfully supports me in all my eccentricities...my health...the fact that we have a job and can once again pay all our bills (and good prospects for rebuilding our reserves and retirement funds)...a home (for now and good prospects for keeping it)...wonderful friends...and so many more blessings...
Yes...I am filled with JOY!
All the troubling things...the distractions...are temporal. They will resolve themselves in a short while. As an old friend once pointed out...our trials are but a dot on the timeline of eternity. I am being prepared...molded...formed into the woman I am meant to be...
The important thing is...how I deal with distractions. Do I get so caught up in them that I am dwelling on the negative? Do I rant and rail?
This morning, I read a wonderful article in my daily devotional. It was talking about "cussing thoughts". In the article, three questions were given for us to ask ourselves...
- Is this thought in line with truth?
- Is this thought in line with who I am?
- Is this thought in line with who I want to be?
*Women of Faith/ Lysa TerKeurst (BTW It's a great article!)
http://us-mg6.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=ehtl53p4vl3ob#mail
These are really good questions...and they are definitely helpful, especially when dealing with the distractions in your life. Do I want to rail at all the "distractions"? Yes! But then, is this the woman I want to be? Bitter...complaining...unhappy with life? NO!
I CHOOSE JOY!
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that
you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4
I am a work in progress...
