Albert Einstein: "In the middle of every difficulty lies an opportunity." (...an opportunity to give thanks.)
My Monday started with a financial distaster all because of a very simple error in my money managing. Then, as if the green stuff wasn't already stressing me enough, my laptop crashed, landing me a mountain of a bill. Add in the general pressures of everyday life and responsibilities, and you've got a pretty exasperated Raylene. "How will I pay for this???" "These things ALWAYS happens at the worst times!" "I need this computer NOW." "I never have enough money in life!" "This is inconveniant and stupid!!" Pretty standard self-oriented reactions...
"Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you n Christ Jesus." (1 Thess. 5:18) This verse has been screaming at me. "Umm, duh! I've heard that my whole life. I'm thankful! I've got a car, an apartment, a family. Leave me alone! I counted my blessings already!" Hmm...I mean, I made my blessings list, called thankfulness done for the day, and moved on to my usual "what will I do??", "I can't handle this!", and "I don't need this situation right now!".
But this verse says "in everything." So, I'm out a thousand or so dollars and I'm supposed to say, "I'm so thankful that just happened!!"? I'm confused. Not really seeing any blooming flowers in this garden.
But lucky me I stumbled over Psalm 46:1 today. It definitely shut up some of my complaints and got me thinking over thankfulness..."I am your refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in trouble." So maybe I can be thankful for something - when I'm in trouble, I'm not alone. Then this verse reminded me of Isaiah 41:10: "Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will help you." So, I can be incredibly thankful that I don't have to be afraid for the things I want to worry about, knowing that God has a plan. For crying out loud, He made the world and everything in it! He can't guide me through a little financial tiff? Maybe that's the greatest thing to be thankful for right now - that He reminded of His power and wisdom through this "inconveniant and stupid" experience in my week. So it seems I have a lot to be thankful for when I look at this financial difficulty. I feel better already!
So here I am with one just one thing out of one day - out of the millions of things in 364 days. Wow, there must be a lot of things to thank God for all the time. In fact, is there enough time to thank Him for it all? Thank God we have eternity to keep thanking Him!
Happy Thanksgiving :-)
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
" ... the world 's mine oyster" -- William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor
It's a dismal day in Normal, with the rain and grayness leaving a heavy cloud over the city...and me. I was having one of those miserable mornings where just pulling out of bed is the biggest chore of the day, and walking out the door is my mission impossible. I stepped into a 2 star outfit because I didn't even have the energy to create a 5. After stubbing a toe and recalling a composition I'd procrastinated, I grumbled about feeling uninspired, hating mornings, and wanting to stay in bed instead of practice. But 2 coffees and 2 pounds of hair spray later, I managed to stumble, a frazzled hamster on the perpetual wheel, into a little spot on campus called the "Airport Lounge."
The lounge is an unassuming coffee shop in the heart of the "artsy" section of campus, home to lively vocalists belting "Glitter and Be Gay," introverted artists sketching their latest impression, wildly dressed actors vying for attention, and overworked musicians gossiping about the latest tiff in orchestra.
I grabbed a coffee, a pastry and dumped a pile of repertoire and notebooks onto an empty table. But then I looked up. And for a second, my eyes left the hamster wheel. Here in the laughter over a nerdy instrument joke, the pains of a dedicated artist in the corner, and the conversation of students over a libretto, I soaked up inspiration.
Webster defines inspiration as the act of drawing in, specifically air. When we become inspired it's as if we've breathed in life-giving air. The clouds clear and we are far better able to connect with our creativity. Most of us think of inspiring events as those that are monumental, like the hero warrior sacrificing for his country or the birth of a tiny new baby into this huge world. Certainly these events have done their part to embolden, influence, and impress the generations. But often in the mundane day-to-day I grapple with lack of inspiration. Stress, depression, exhaustion, others' expectation - only the start of the long list that wilts the flower of my creativity. But as I sit in the coffee shop observing the quirky behavior of artists, wild theatrics of singers, and "savoir-faire" of the wandering professors, I discover that having daily inspiration is really just a matter of viewing the smallest details of life as extraordinary, and being nourished by the ordinary life. Somewhere there is an artist inspired to create a paper-clip sculpture. He found inspiration in the small, seemingly insignificant and created from it. (http://www.paperclipart.com) He stepped out of the apathy that so often I wake up with, and looked up and saw the world.
It's a dismal day in Normal, with the rain and grayness leaving a heavy cloud over the city...and me. I was having one of those miserable mornings where just pulling out of bed is the biggest chore of the day, and walking out the door is my mission impossible. I stepped into a 2 star outfit because I didn't even have the energy to create a 5. After stubbing a toe and recalling a composition I'd procrastinated, I grumbled about feeling uninspired, hating mornings, and wanting to stay in bed instead of practice. But 2 coffees and 2 pounds of hair spray later, I managed to stumble, a frazzled hamster on the perpetual wheel, into a little spot on campus called the "Airport Lounge."
The lounge is an unassuming coffee shop in the heart of the "artsy" section of campus, home to lively vocalists belting "Glitter and Be Gay," introverted artists sketching their latest impression, wildly dressed actors vying for attention, and overworked musicians gossiping about the latest tiff in orchestra.
I grabbed a coffee, a pastry and dumped a pile of repertoire and notebooks onto an empty table. But then I looked up. And for a second, my eyes left the hamster wheel. Here in the laughter over a nerdy instrument joke, the pains of a dedicated artist in the corner, and the conversation of students over a libretto, I soaked up inspiration.
Webster defines inspiration as the act of drawing in, specifically air. When we become inspired it's as if we've breathed in life-giving air. The clouds clear and we are far better able to connect with our creativity. Most of us think of inspiring events as those that are monumental, like the hero warrior sacrificing for his country or the birth of a tiny new baby into this huge world. Certainly these events have done their part to embolden, influence, and impress the generations. But often in the mundane day-to-day I grapple with lack of inspiration. Stress, depression, exhaustion, others' expectation - only the start of the long list that wilts the flower of my creativity. But as I sit in the coffee shop observing the quirky behavior of artists, wild theatrics of singers, and "savoir-faire" of the wandering professors, I discover that having daily inspiration is really just a matter of viewing the smallest details of life as extraordinary, and being nourished by the ordinary life. Somewhere there is an artist inspired to create a paper-clip sculpture. He found inspiration in the small, seemingly insignificant and created from it. (http://www.paperclipart.com) He stepped out of the apathy that so often I wake up with, and looked up and saw the world.
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