I’m a planner. I like being prepared, and knowing what I’m doing. I like being able to look forward to what’s ahead. That’s great most of the time, but not all the time. A lot of things this year haven’t turned out the way I hoped. I know we’re just at the start, but my plans have already changed.
With everything that’s been going on, I’ve been kinda down. Not necessarily depressed, but I haven’t been excited about these changes to my plan. I don’t like them. But, they’re what I have, and I can do one of two things with them:
- Sulk, and spend forever sulking because I don’t have what I want.
- Use what I have and make the most out of it.
I kinda came to the realization that I was stuck in “sulkville” when we had puppets last Sunday (there were a few other things God was slapping me with, but I can’t remember them at the moment).
The ENTIRE puppet skit was about looking for the good in our situations. One of the puppets was explaining to his friends why he had a sling, and a bandage on his head, and foot. So many bad things happened to him, but, after every situation he told them about, he had something good to say about it.
Lately I’ve really lost my touch when it comes to “looking for the good”. I can coach anyone on how to do it, and I still know how to, but I keep forgetting to actually do it. I’m letting myself only think about what I don’t have, and what’s gonna happen later, and what I’m afraid of. I’m forgetting to look around me and see what’s actually there. I have a family who loves me, amazing friends, and a God who won’t leave me when I need him, or when I screw up. I have mom hugs, and hugs from my kids at work, and flowers, and clouds, and the color blue. I have music, and dancing, and art.
I think, to remind myself to enjoy the good, I’m going to post something I’m thankful for every day (if not a few things). Just a short little “I’m thankful for: …”, but I think it’ll remind me to focus on the good instead of all the bad.