Monday, March 26, 2007

Keep your head up!

I haven't posted much lately, have I? I haven't really felt that I've had much to write about, which for me oftentimes means that I haven't been thinking critically about things as much as I should. Not always, of course. Sometimes the things on my mind or the events in my life, both good and bad, are just too personal to share on a blog. Frequently, though, I find that I make it my goal to "make it through" the day, and I take on a "put your head down and plough on through" mentality. There are times when such an attitude is necessary, I think. There are times when you need to focus on the task at hand and not allow yourself to be distracted. But I believe that should be an exception. You miss a lot when you have your head down. Beauty, the needs of others, insights, opportunities. I do not wish to aim for a life of no interruptions. That certainly isn't the example that Jesus gave. He lived His life with purpose, always moving towards the cross; but His daily life was characterized by interruptions, by people clamoring for His attention. It was also characterized by what most would consider petty mundanities. Dirty feet, quarreling friends, bad weather. I think of the events that have characterized my life over the last week - dirty diapers, demanding people, tulip-eating squirrels. It is hard to think of these experiences as meaningful, as more than annoyances and interruptions. But if I lift my head and look around me, I can see that these things are not just interruptions to my life - they are my life. And that might sound depressing, but it's not. It's not that the mundane and irritating things make life dull. It's that life makes the mundane and irritating things beautiful. Okay, so I still haven't seen the beauty in the squirrels eating my tulips. I'm working on it.

Well, I'd better not write more just now. There are some beautiful dirty dishes and meaningful laundry calling my name.

4 comments:

The Krunchy Krab said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Krunchy Krab said...

It's all a matter of your perspective. You just don't understand what a positive effect the tulip eating squirrels can have on you. Now, because of them, your husband gets to wage a war against squirrels, a war which the house and senate of your home are no longer divided over. This gives your husband joy, both because of the thrill of the hunt and because he gets to use fun tools and gadgets to "gently encourage" the squirrel not to eat tulips. This makes your husband more happy, which in turn will affect your relationship in a positive way. In the long run, it is probably better for your marriage that the squirrels ate your tulips.

Bob said...

I just like the phrase "the house and senate of your home". Heh.

Linda said...

But aren't the squirrels cute and fun to watch? You just provided a meal to them for another day. I know, I'd be irritated, too. Glad to see that you are able to step back and gain a new perspective on things.