LIFE IS TOO SHORT FOR LONG PITY PARTIES. GET BUSY LIVING, OR GET BUSY DYING.
Yes, I have thrown a couple of pity parties in my lifetime. O.K. .....let's be honest. I've hosted countless such shindigs in which the only guest is myself. Why have I wasted precious moments of God-given time in this way? Hmmm.... it's time for a little introspection. I suppose some of it stems from the fact that I have a spouse who tends to deal with the problems in my life with a "let me tell you how to fix it" rather than a "you poor thing....that must be hard for you" mindset. Neither do I hear my children say things like, "Wow, Mom....it must be hard to be you." In fact, the following scenario has played itself out on multiple occasions: I am laying in my bed, groaning, with an ice pack plastered to my head, begging God to free me from the migraine that has me in it's clutches, when a child approaches me. I await the offering of a glass of water or perhaps a quick hug. Instead, without fail, I hear something like this: "Why aren't you looking for my missing shoe!!" Don't get me wrong....I have fabulous kids. Empathy just isn't one of their strong points.
And so, it falls on me to provide myself with the sympathy I so deserve. This takes the form of occasionally forcing family members to listen to my long list of health complaints, or perhaps my even longer list of thankless tasks I perform everyday. Both monologues are met with glassy stares and a sudden loss of the ability to speak (I can only asume so since there are no forthcoming words of comfort and gratitude). Sometimes I shed tears during my pity parties....although it is of no benefit to me as the residents of this house have apparently become immune to such tactics.
How do I stop these pity parties and "get busy living"? I've found two things to be helpful. One is to count my blessings. Every day. The other is to switch my focus outward by taking advantage of what a fellow blogger refers to as "pity party poopers." These are the people God sends to interrupt your party and give you a kick in the pants. People like the newscaster who tells about a tornado that devastated an entire town. People like the Sunday School classmates whose daughter struggles daily with a serious illness. People like the acquaintances whose bread-winner just lost his job.
The more time you spend seeking to find the beauty in the life God has given you, the less time you will spend thinking of ways to stay miserable.
2 comments:
Having trouble leaving comments. Trying again.
Roger is wired just like most other husbands - fix it and move on. They care but don't deal well with can't be fixed easily things. I used to tell Grampa John "I don't want you to fix it - just listen."
Post a Comment