The author of the above quote was on to something. The person, (likely a woman!) found it within herself to extract positive from potentially negative observations. This, I've come to realize, is SO essential for my peace and well-being. How powerful to see these tasks through a different lens.
As anyone who knows me at all knows that I (used to!) tend towards the half-empty glass, the half-empty gas tank, and the half-finished projects that I was just sure would never get finished in this lifetime. So, of all people I need a lot of practice in gratefulness. But, the more I look on the bright side, the brighter the skies become.
I am still overwhelmed, but in a new way. I'm overwhelmed with God's goodness and his abundant blessings, and not the vastness of our uncompleted projects. And for everything that's not yet quite right, there is something else that is a perfect blessing. A few examples:
I can focus on my dirty "cob-webby" porch window....
...or the lovely view just beyond it...
...the unfinished front living area
...or the great job my husband did with the tile floor in the bathroom just down the hall...
... I can look at the mess on my husband's desk...
... or I can look at my precious husband, whom has held my heart for 26 years...
... I can focus on the back of our unfinished house
...or I can see the pool and hot tub where I swim and soak in my back yard...and appreciate the view of the lake.
I can feel depressed because it seems to be taking so long to finish rebuilding the front porch...
...or I can choose to feel happy that what IS finished looks so great...
I am BLESSED to have a home. Some people don't. I am BLESSED to have PEOPLE in my life who make every day BETTER than it would be without them. Many folks have lost loved ones whom they'll never see again, on this earth. I have dirty windows and half-painted cabinets and only one bathroom in a house that has plans for three. I have wires and insulation hanging exposed in my ceilings, and an enclosed back porch that needs to get torn down. But these THINGS are not my LIFE. They are just THINGS and only a small and INSIGNIFICANT part of my life in the big picture. I have chosen to not lose one more day fretting over STUFF and circumstances that I have little or no control over. I have a LIFE to live and I'm ready to get on with the wild JOYS of living!
Grace for the way,
Becky
Well-said, Becky!
ReplyDeleteA home isn't the walls and flooring and projects.
It's the souls that rejoice within those walls, the beautiful feet of those that walk that flooring, and the helpful hands that create those projects.
You truly have a wonderful life!
I love you!
~me