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Take a Deep Breath......In, Out

1/24/2014

Have you ever had one of those days (or two) where it seems someone must have a voodoo doll with your name on it and they are sticking pins in it, right and left?

Of course you have; we all do at some point in our lives. I had 2 days like that this past week. You know, nothing horrendous, just a lot of different pains in the 'tookus.'

Let me back up a bit. Last summer, while taking my granddaughter and some friends to an event at North Side HS, (it was dark and raining like a monsoon season) I hit the curb while turning into the drive. It damaged the hubcap, rim and definitely, the tire. It was all put back together, but the seal never was quite right again; so many times, I had to put air in the tire. Two weeks ago, in another frigid spell, I had to call AAA to put my spare on because that tire was registering 9# of pressure. (Just about on the rim.)

The tire man said he sealed it as best as he could. Okay. All is good. No it isn't.

Yesterday, I had to call AAA again (I love AAA) to put my little doughnut spare tire on again because evidently the seal didn't stay sealed and my tire only had 13# of pressure. I decided I had had enough of this foolishness and called about a new rim. OMGosh. I have been driving for a long time, but have never had to buy a rim and I hope I never have to buy another. Very expensive.

In the meantime, the handle on my Crock Pot broke off. Not a problem; I ordered a new one from Amazon for a dollar. The same time I am stewing about how I am going to afford a new rim and how I can't drive on the spare for more than 50 miles, the mailman brings my new handle. Hurray. One small bright spot. NOT! I can't get the old screw out so I can put the new handle on. I tried everything and finally, decided to spray a little WD-40 on it to loosen it

That was a good idea but it didn't work. I decided to forget it because now the head on the screw was stripped and I don't think it will ever come out. I am going to use it as it is, so I put chili in the Crock Pot. Even though I washed it thoroughly in hot, soapy water, I could smell WD-40. I was hoping my chili wouldn't taste like it.

I needed to finish some devotions before a looming deadline, so I immersed myself in working on the computer. When I moved something on my desk, I knocked my coffee cup over. It had only 1/2 inch of coffee in it, but that became 1/2 gallon as it was running under my laptop. I wiped it up immediately but my computer would not come back to life.

Okay, let's review: within several hours, I have a flat and can't afford a new rim (and my car dashboard says my spare has only 6# of pressure..really?), I have a fried laptop and my chili smells like WD-40.

Who says a bag of kettle corn and a glass of merlot don't go together??? They certainly did and very well, I might add.

Here is the good news. My grandson who shares my car insisted on paying for half the cost of the rim. I unplugged the laptop and let it totally die; (and said mighty prayers over it) when I plugged it back in the next morning, it worked! And the chili tasted wonderful. God certainly answered my prayers.

Anyone need a brand new handle for a Crock Pot lid? I know where there is one.

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Mama always said, "Life is like a ......snowed-in driveway."

1/8/2014

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Ha! You thought the title was going to be 'a box of chocolates,' right? Nope, not today. The boxes of chocolates left from the holidays have disappeared and many, many inches of snow have taken their place.

I'm pretty certain everyone is getting sick of looking at pictures and reading about the temperatures and snow accumulations in the Indiana / Illinois section of the country this past week, but this really isn't about how much snow or cold we received; it is about the similarities between my driveway and my life. Perhaps you will recognize some of your life situations, also.

For the most part, my cement drive is always clear and something I rarely think about, unless someone parks there and then I can't get to the garage. My life is relatively clear of obstacles, too, as most of my 'problems' are minor compared to others' lives.

Then comes winter and between the snow and ice and wind, my drive can end up being solidly packed with snow. Due to a neighbor taking a fence down last summer, the space between her house and mine must now be the ultimate wind tunnel for drifting snow. Great.

The first snowfall wasn't too bad, but my grandson decided to just 'plow through' the white stuff instead of shoveling first. Needless to say, that didn't work. How many times in my life have I decided to 'plow through' situations without seeking God's advice or making any preparations? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is, "Way too many." That results in my getting stuck, just like my car did. Instead of taking a few minutes to prepare and then continue on my journey, it took all kinds of effort to become 'unstuck' from the situation so I could get on with life.

I have a fairly long and wide drive, so it takes some effort to clean it. It isn't a 20 minute job. I don't own a snow blower, but I do have a 20-year-old grandson. His efforts were hindered by the depth of the snow. When I was helping shovel, I took the top layer off and then the bottom layer, while he scooped the entire depth at one time. Sometimes, I approach a problem in my life, one layer at a time and sometimes, I try to pick up the whole thing at once. I find the latter way to be tiring and exhausting. Also, without Jacob doing 90% of the work, I would be stuck in my garage until the spring thaw. How many times do I try to shovel my way out of a situation by myself? If I ask God for help, it becomes so much clearer and so much easier.

After a problem is solved, I am always grateful but certainly do not expect another 'situation' immediately following.

Jacob was happy to have the entire drive cleaned, have a cup of hot chocolate, and hang up his heavy clothes. Shortly thereafter, we heard the rumble of the snowplow coming down the street. A few days ago, that was a very welcome sound, but now...."No-o-o-o."

Yep, the end of the drive had snow stacked up about 3 feet deep again. After a brief rest, he went back out.

I sometimes find myself fighting my way through the same problems over and over. Perhaps I need to change the way I approach them or at least be thankful the problems become a bit more manageable each time.

These are some things I hope this analogy is showing me (and you)

#1 We can't always predict what messes we will find in our lives and many times have no more control over them than I had control over the snow that fell.

#2 It is ALWAYS better and more advantageous to ask for God's help in any situation before we decide to get through it in our own way.

#3 Sometimes we need to tackle a problem a layer at a time, instead of one big chunk.

#4 Resting is good and prepares us for the next effort.

#5 Just when we think we 'have it all together' and are finished, circumstances can, and often will, cause us to start over.

#6 God is always there to help and knows the end result of our efforts long before we do.

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Montage Moments is a page of blog postings about a variety of subjects, thoughts and opinions..

Take a Deep Breath......In, Out

Mama always said, "Life is like a ......snowed-in driveway."

Author: Gloria Doty

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