Dirty Laundry

READY… “Sometimes you have to help a person change the sheets on the bed they made for themselves.” ~ Bob Bodkin

AIM… For those of you who know my husband Bob, you know that he’s a funny guy, very sarcastic and can easily be the life of the party. He doesn’t pull any punches; he doesn’t mince words and is very straightforward; sometimes to my dismay. Most folks don’t get to see or hear the very insightful and often perceptive observations Bob makes about life situations. When he’s not joking around, Bob truly has lots of practical wisdom and great advice to share.

Like many of you, we have encountered many situations in life where people have let us down or our expectations of situations just didn’t turn out as we planned. When those disappointments come along, how do you handle the outcome? It’s very easy to get upset, angry, frustrated and have a temper tantrum of epic proportions that results in grudge-holding, bitterness, resentment and relationship turmoil. However, do any of those reactions make a difference to the other party? Usually not! Normally, those negative emotions simply make things more complicated and difficult for you. It’s at times like these when Bob would say,“You simply have to help a person change the sheets on the bed they made for themselves.” While we may not agree with or approve of the decisions other people make in life, that doesn’t mean we have to shut them out or ignore them completely. Perhaps the kindness of reaching out to them with caring words and actions will demonstrate God’s love in such a practical way that even if you want to stay mad and upset, you cannot. The bonus will be that they will feel more relaxed and perhaps will feel peace about your relationship rather than tension and nervousness. After all, we are supposed to follow the Golden Rule and “treat others as we would want to be treated.”

FIRE! Have you been disappointed or let down by the people in your life? This week, re-evaluate your relationship with them and reach out with a few kind words or a small act of generosity, just because you want to demonstrate God’s great love to them. Maybe your step of maturity will be the first step toward healing and restoration in your relationships.

Be Excellent!

Lori

Disappointment

READY… “Reverend Mother always says when the Lord closes a door, somewhere he opens a window." ~ Maria speaking to Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music

AIM… Life doesn’t always go in our expected direction. If you’ve seen the movie or the musical The Sound of Music, Maria doesn’t recognize God’s true calling on her life until well into her assignment with the Von Trapp family and she tries to change directions by making decisions herself. Of course, the movie has a happy ending, but when life throws YOU a curve ball, how do you handle the disappointment?

When we run after the desires of our heart and a metaphorical door gets slammed in our face, it is hard to muster up the strength to stay on that course. Our human nature is to run and hide and feel sorry for ourselves because the situation didn’t turn out the way we expected. However, did you realize that how you handle your disappointment is a direct reflection of your character? Yes, we are going to be disappointed. Yes, there are going to be times of sadness or anger. The true test of your personal integrity is whether you allow yourself to wallow in self-pity over your disappointments or if you choose to get back on your feet and take another step in the right direction.

Unfortunately, we cannot choose how other people act or some of the circumstances we’ll be faced with in life. However, we CAN choose how we REact to our situations and the folks who are involved. Remember, others are always watching our behavior. If we pause long enough to take a breath, and look for perspective, perhaps we’ll actually feel the breeze from the window God is opening around the bend of opportunity. Consider how many times you have had an opportunity pass you by only to be thankful when a better one arrived later.

FIRE! Don’t put a period where God places a comma! Give yourself about 60 seconds to have a little pity party and then stand up, pull your shoulders back, hold your head up and confidently go forward in pursuit of your dreams.

Be Excellent!
Lori