The Right Deed Gone Wrong
Have you ever felt like you did the right thing and somehow got punished for it? I certainly have, and recently, these situations seem to be multiplying like rabbits in springtime. There's an old saying that "No good deed goes unpunished," and sometimes life appears determined to prove that axiom true.
In the past couple of weeks, I faced two particularly challenging situations where I followed the right path with the purest intentions, only to be met with heartbreak and disappointment. I won't bore you with the details, but imagine doing everything by the book—crossing every 't', dotting every 'i'—and still ending up with results that make you question whether you should have bothered at all.
In times like these, it's tempting to throw up our hands and say, "Why bother? What's the point in living right if things are going to turn out badly anyway?"
When Progress Looks Like Snow
Living in Wales has taught me a thing or two about unpredictable weather. This past week has been a perfect example of nature's indecisiveness. One moment, pristine white snow blankets our driveway, transforming our little corner of Wales into a winter wonderland. The next, the sun peeks through the clouds, and I think, "Finally! Back to normal!" But before I can even grab my walking shoes for an afternoon stroll with Tess, another flurry descends, and we're right back where we started.
This morning, as I watched yet another wave of snowflakes dance their way to earth, I couldn't help but see a parallel to my spiritual journey. You see, I often expect my walk with the Lord to be a straight path of constant improvement. One prayer, one sermon, one revelation, and boom, I should be transformed into the perfect Christian, right?
Wrong. Oh, so wrong!
When Your Best Efforts Fall Short
I stared at my computer screen, scratching my head in confusion. The tutorial for the new publishing software had seemed straightforward enough: Import your manuscript, format the chapters, add the front matter, and voilà – a perfectly formatted book would emerge. Yet here I sat, staring at a mess of misaligned text and wonky page numbers that looked nothing like the polished example in the tutorial video.
"I followed every step!" I muttered to myself, replaying the tutorial for the dozenth time. But something was clearly missing, and my frustration level was rising faster than bread dough in a warm kitchen.
It reminded me of so many areas in life where we diligently follow the "instruction manual" but still end up scratching our heads at the results.
Doggie Days and Unmet Expectations
With the spring weather finally emerging here in Wales, Jason purchased and set up a two-seater swing for me to enjoy. I love spending time outdoors and curling up in a comfy place to read or write. After he set it up, Tess and I spent much of the day snuggled together in the plush swing. To say she was as excited about it as I would be an understatement. She loved it so much that she went outside by herself after lunch. When several minutes had passed, and she hadn’t returned, I went to check on her. Guess where she was. That rotten little thing was stretched out on the swing, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. In her mind, she had a new outside bed. After enjoying more time outside as a family that evening, Jason and I removed the cushions from the swing and brought them inside to keep them dry during the next few days of rain.
How Do You Deal With Life’s Interruptions?
I stared at the question on my computer screen and laughed out loud. Since I sat down to prepare for my Bible study lesson, I have had numerous phone calls, text messages, and other disturbances. How do I deal with interruptions? If my growing annoyance and frustration with others are any indication, not very well, it would seem.
How about you? How do you handle rained-out picnics, canceled vacations due to family illness, or guests showing up on your one quiet night, surprising you with their impromptu visit and expectations of dinner? How do you react when the dog doesn’t quit barking, the kids won’t quit fighting, the boss won’t quit complaining, and the world around you won’t stop asking for more of you?
Growing Tired of Square One
I've spent the past two weeks recovering from a severe flareup from my back injury and let me tell you, it's been excruciating. Not just the pain, mind you, though that was enough to keep me in bed for over a week. But the frustration of knowing that once I was better, I would have to start back at square one. Boy, am I tired of square one!!!
Mismatched Pieces
A few days ago, Jason pulled a pair of socks out of his drawer. As he unrolled the socks, he immediately noticed an issue—they weren’t the same. I know we’ve all mismatched a blue and black sock or two socks of the same color, but that was not the case here. No, these two socks were as different as could be. One was a medium-weight black crew sock; the other was a heavy-weight tan, tall sock. They weren’t the same color, length, style, or weight. Yet, somehow, I had paired the two together and placed them in his drawer. Wow! Just wow!