Life is rarely what we thought it would be. There are good times and victories, happy and satisfying moments. Then there are the struggles, conflicts, broken promises, lost dreams, missteps, and the road less taken. Oh, how I wish I could fast-forward through the crummy parts!
How do you handle life’s curve balls?
On the outside, I’m positive. My husband accuses me of being Pollyanna. What’s so bad about that? If you didn’t see the movie, Pollyanna is the orphaned daughter of missionaries who comes to live with her wealthy and uptight aunt. She is a breath of fresh air in a buttoned-up, and sometimes hell-fire and brimstone, atmosphere. She brings love and joy to the whole town. Pollyanna’s unshakable sunniness (is that a word?) has a profound effect on everyone.
What my husband doesn’t know is that my first, gut-level reaction is sheer panic! Quietly, I scramble for Plan A, B, and C…maybe even D. Then I get a grip, pray, take a deep breath, and pull out my best Pollyanna.
This little talk is about perspective. We all have one, but is yours and mine the most helpful one? I’d like to share this ancient tale and Leonard’s point of view. Most likely every culture has a version of this story, but I’d heard it told like this. One morning, a Russian farmer woke up to find his one and only horse…yes, the one he used to plow the fields… had run away.
All his neighbors gathered to commiserate. “Poor Leonard. This is terrible luck.”
Being a quiet man, Leonard simply responded, “We’ll see.”
Then he sent his teenage son to find the stray animal. Two days later, his son returned with their plow horse along with a younger horse. Their neighbors gathered to celebrate.
“Leonard, you have the best luck!” to which Leonard replied, “We’ll see.”
Leonard went back to plowing and suggested that his son tame the new horse. On his first ride, the horse threw his son and the boy broke his arm. Again the neighbors arrived and with heads shaking said, “Leonard, you have the worst luck.”
Leonard, with shrugged shoulders, said, “We’ll see.”
Not long after, the military scouts arrived looking for new recruits. Leonard’s son, with his broken arm, was not drafted and sent to war.
Good luck. Bad luck. Sometimes it’s in one’s perspective.
I love to hear about people who were laid off and then reinvented themselves into much happier and more successful people. They always say that being laid off was the best thing that could’ve happened to them. It gave them the push they needed to start a business/try a new career/invent something/stay home and write the great American novel. I love a happy ending!
So the moral of the the story is…
Try to look for the positive and don’t be too quick to assume the worst…or that the worst is forever.
If Pollyanna’s or Leonard’s approach is asking too much, make a list of “What are the worst things that could happen?” They usually don’t.
Shift your thinking. A paradigm shift! Make a list of 10 great things that could come out of this event. In other words, how can you turn crappy into happy?
Find your most Pollyanna friend and brainstorm. Don’t just cry about it. Try to limit that to two or three days, max.
Always….first, not last, pray! Remember God sees the big picture. Seek His wisdom. Need some Scriptures to hang onto? Read Philippians, Chapter 4. And reread it until it sinks in and you have peace. It’s hard to think straight when you’re not at peace.
If you like heroes of the Bible, read about Joseph in Genesis, Daniel, Esther, and don’t forget about Jesus.
As a believer, my goal is to get God’s perspective.
All is not lost. He has a plan. Yes, I’m disappointed that my dream didn’t happen. Perhaps God’s plan for me is better than my own. I’m looking for His footsteps to follow.
What about you?