Month November 2018

On Hold

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Recently, due to my own forgetfulness, I was on hold waiting to pay a bill for an hour. You might say, why didn’t you just hang up and try again later? The problem was that it was the last day of the month, and if I didn’t get the payment posted, it was going to be even worse the next day. So, I put my cell phone on speaker and waited….and waited…and waited. Every so often a voice would interrupt the annoying music to tell me how much longer, but it kept changing in an inconsistent manner. One time it jumped from an hour and fifteen minutes to fifty minutes. The next time it went up ten minutes. There was no gauging how long the wait would actually be.

Life is often like that. We want something to happen, or we fear something will happen, but we have no idea when it will or will not happen. However, our whole lives don’t have to be on hold. There are things we can do in the interim. Worrying or pining for what we fear or crave will only make us miserable and waste time. We need to make the most of the time that we are given. For instance, while I was on the phone, I took care of paying some bills on line and went through some mail on the table. I checked the cats’ food and water and put a load of clothes on to wash. I tried not to waste the entire hour staring at the phone and willing someone to answer.

The same idea applies to the bigger things in life, but the truth is that life is about a conglomeration of small moments. Make the most of each moment. If one area has you on hold, then work on another area in the meantime. Don’t put your whole life on hold for one part, especially for something you are not sure will even happen, good or bad. Live in the moment and do the things you want instead of putting them off. We have to do the daily tasks, even the ones we don’t like, and work our jobs, but we also have the option to make the most of the time, letting go of things that aren’t necessary and making time for the important ones.

Today I am hoping the electrician comes, but if he doesn’t, I still got other things done. Do what you can do and leave the rest to God for He is the one in control. When He answers, it will be His will and His timing, and that is as it should be for He knows what we need and when we need it.

Roller Coasters

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I am not a fan of roller coasters. The constant up and down and being thrown about does not appeal to me and often makes me sick. I don’t find any fun or thrills in the process. We often refer to life as a journey which includes mountains and valleys, but when the mountains and valleys come too close together, the effect is a roller coaster.

Lately, life has been a bit of a roller coaster with things changing on sometimes an hourly basis. I have given up definitive plans for the near future. In other words, I don’t write anything in stone because I am not sure of where the next few turns will take me. I have come to a few conclusions, however.

First, we can make plans, but we only have today…the moment…to work with, so we have to keep that in mind. We have to roll with the punches and do the best we can. Do what you can do in the moment and enjoy all the little moments of joy as they come amid the struggles in life. Smile and sing along with a tune on the radio or wonder at the sudden appearance of wildlife or laugh at a funny moment in life.

Second, I am inspired to actually do the things I’ve talked about doing instead of putting them off to another day. Too many days have gone by in that manner. If we do all that we can do in a given day, then we will not have regrets. We may never accomplish everything we set out to do, but at least we will have tried. Besides, it may be that God never intended for us to do some things because He had other more important things for us to do.

While I can’t stop the roller coaster, I can do more to try and enjoy life. I can be more attentive to what God has for me to do and ignore what the world says I should do. I can only do what I can do and the rest is up to God.

 

 

Little Blessings

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Sometimes it is the little blessings that bring us joy and comfort at just the times we need them. One day I caught a glimpse of a fawn drinking from a misty creek on an early morning commute. It made the daily grind a little brighter. It was a small thing really, but it brought a bit of joy.

Sometimes it is a bit of companionship. Last night my cats all stayed near me, keeping me company. It was a bit of joy on a sad day. They didn’t do anything in particular. They just sat with me and purred, happy to be in my presence. Sometimes that is all someone needs, a companionable silence.

Sometimes it is a word of encouragement. If you think someone looks good today or did a good job on a project, then tell them. It might be the little blessing they need. I am not suggesting making up things to tell people because people can sense insincerity, but if you think something good, then share it. We have no problem sharing frustrations and anger, so we should not have trouble sharing good thoughts.

Sometimes it is just a simple gesture, like a smile or holding a door or helping carry a burden. When you are in line at the grocery store, smile at the cashier and wish them a good day. Give your waitress a smile and a good tip. These are little things but they can make a bad day better.

It is the little blessings that can bring joy to us and to others, so try to be more of a blessing in a world that is caught up in anger and mistrust and pettiness. This will make more of a difference to a person and possibly to the world than a rant on Facebook ever could. So, be a little blessing to someone because life is made up of a bunch of little moments and how we act in those moments eventually adds up to a lifetime.