Well, my day today is turning into the perfect day to write about this topic. One only has to look at the news, listen to the radio, or have a chat with a friend to see that life throws all of us some curve balls once in awhile, but I truly believe how you decide to be the catcher of these “zingers” will affect things for good or bad.
Here is your warning right now that this post might sound like it’s being delivered from Pollyanna herself. You know Pollyanna…don’t you? I also am reminded that I thankfully have a wide range of ages represented here at Women Warriors Raise Your Sword, so I will post a pic of her here and tell you a little bit about her.
Chatty and idealistic, Pollyanna can always find something to be glad about. Even when the newly orphaned girl has to live with her cold, unloving Aunt Polly, she remains full of hope and joy. My kind of girl, but she has a horrible accident that leaves her crippled and it may be too much for her to bear. All the people whose lives she brightened come to her rescue by cheering her up again and I’m not going to tell you the end of the story. I don’t want my middle name to become “Spoiler Alert” Lang.
My favorite Pollyanna actress is by far, the incomparable, Hayley Mills, but there were mostly copyrights to all her pics, so you will have to “google” her on your own to see her endearing face. Boy, just writing about this is making me want to watch Disney’s movie about Pollyanna in which I haven’t seen in a LONG time!
I’ve been busy lately getting ready for the beginning of school and have been pretty excited, but this week we had a bit of a “snafu” in our home. When my husband and I were getting ready to go to bed for the night, in the process of turning off lights in our basement (our crib), we noticed water dripping out of one of the light fixtures!
After panicked calls to our favorite family contractor, we thought it was taken care of when he had to cut a hole in the ceiling to access pipes, fixed what we thought was the leak, and then called it a night on the second night.
The next morning it didn’t cross my mind to check for any water and so I trotted off to school to begin putting my room there together. Upon my return in the afternoon, all that was on my mind was to go to the cool of the basement (we’ve been hitting 100 degrees and more with a heat advisory) and kick back, but walking to the fridge to get a Coke, I stepped in a puddle. This was not just a puddle, but a stream originating from the hole in the ceiling that we thought had been taken care of, puddling across our breakfast bar down onto our floor! This was the wooden floor that we had installed when we had our basement finished just 4 years ago by our favorite family contractor aforementioned.
To make a long story short, we ended up finding out that the leak was coming from our kitchen sink area UPSTAIRS and are now mitigating getting rid of the water!
Now for the part where I get to write about overcoming bad news, bad accidents, wrongful situations, and just plain life in general. Our attitude toward these things does have a great deal to do with our outcome. While writing this, I can’t help but think of the destitution and despair that happens all over the world on a daily basis such as starvation, sickness, disease along with the destruction of not only property, but lives as well.
No, I do not have conclusions for the why’s to all of these deficits, but I do have answers on how to assist you to get through them with the grace of God. He can help and wants to. That’s why He sent His son, Jesus. Just ask Him. He already knows the questions you have hidden in your heart.
Right now, you are probably wondering what does Pollyanna have to do with any of this? I would like to propose it is her indomitable spirit of being an overcomer along with choosing to see good, happiness joy and victory in the midst of heartache that is not only her strength, but it is also a God given attribute that we must fight to appropriate everyday.
Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, states in verse 3:14, that “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” What does this verse look like displayed in your life? Is it by helping others? How about giving or speaking truth into another life through love? I want to ask you, “How are you pressing on?”
Right now, with the loud whirring of fans drying out our floors and cabinets, I love the timeless wisdom that the book of Proverbs contains. “My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.”
Find the scriptures that address your personal need right now. Ask God to lead you to them in prayer. I especially like the verse that follows in Proverbs 4:23 where it says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. ” and in verse25, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left, keep your foot from evil. “
From now on, I am keeping my eyes forward, straight ahead like it says in Proverbs, but I can’t help but post a picture of the upstairs sink where the whole problem began in the first place…uggh, but as I always say, “If this is the worse thing that happens to me today, I am thankful.”
Women Warriors, Raise Your Swords! 