Our Session meeting went well and I was ready to enjoy a late dinner. The dogs greeted me at the door and everything seemed as it should. Well, almost everything. I smelled cleaners in the air. Their scent was thick and I worried that something bad had happened that required extra cleaning.
Jennifer assured me that Emma had just finished cleaning her bathroom and that was why it smelled so strongly in the den. Then Emma came in. "So," she began, "I've got a little problem."
I rubbed my forehead and smiled as I thought, "O Lord, now what."
"I broke the bathroom."
"You broke the bathroom," I respond curiously.
"Yes."
I sighed, "let me put my stuff down and show me what happened." As we walked down the hall she said, "Remember I am your favorite child."
Turning to look at her, I could not find any words besides again, "O, Lord" as I shook my head a little while smirking.
Without going into great detail, because I don't totally understand plumbing, Emma's tub had a nice trickle of water coming from the spigot and the nob that she turned so that water will flow out. Something was broken and I couldn't stop the water from coming out. I asked how she did it, and as expected, she had no idea. (Why do teenagers never understand what they've done when something is broken?)
Fast forward to this morning. . . Darius is at my door at 8am to fix the tub--which he did. But that is not what I wonder about today.
Instead I wonder about trust and about peace and how you choose to adopt them in your life. I wonder how you practice trust and peace when life 'breaks' and water is coming out of places its not supposed to and the temptation is to become quite upset?
As Darius and the guys worked to fix the water, Luna (our German Shepherd) and Bianca (our Shih Tzu) barked constantly at them. Anxious barks. . . Questioning barks. . . Barks that said, 'get out of my house.. . . ' And barks of ''come play with me.'
That is one response to the challenges that life brings to us. "Bark" and attempt to assert your control or influence over the situation; work to dominate.
But there is another choice. . . Nala's choice (Emma new Springer Doodle).
I lifted her onto the bed as the guys walked down the hall toward Emma's bathroom. She walked slowly towards her pillow and laid down. For the entire 30 minutes while they were in our house, Nala barely raised her head. In fact, one of the guys thought that she was a stuffed animal because she was so still. Yet she knew they were in her room and didn't respond.
From my perspective Nala was displaying trust and peace in me. . . I had reassured her that everything was okay as they came into the house. Myself, I was not upset or anxious, and so, Nala was not anxious or upset as she walked toward her pillow while Luna and Bianca constantly barked .
After the plumbers left, I opened the door to our bedroom, Luna and Bianca were out of breath as they came into the hallway. Breathing hard they went for a drink and emptied the water bowl totally. While Nala just rested in bed the whole time. They were exhausted from the ordeal. . . Nala was still and at peace.
Two choices. Two different ways to address stress and anxiety as it surfaces in your life. Trust or control?
I wonder which one you'd choose today when the option is presented to you?
Blessings
Rev. Derek
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