And This Too Shall Pass

Amusement rides are intended to be fun, and they usually are for children and those who are children at heart with strong stomachs. I recall taking my son and another family of 3 to an amusement park. The boys were all about the same age, 8-10, while the lone girl was only 6. The boys often ran off without her, hopping on rides that she was unable to go on because of her size and age. She was a very good sport about it.


She did, however, strongly desire to go on one particular ride and the boys were nowhere to be found so I reluctantly agreed to accompany her. It seemed relatively harmless, just going round and round a bit of a distance off the ground.

We boarded and soon were off and spinning. I did not mind the first three times around but by then had had sufficient to suggest I was done now and would love to get off. The amusement park insists on giving patrons their money's worth so we kept going around and around and around. I was ready to scream, 'Enough already! Let me off!' but I resisted in order to save face with my little companion who was enjoying herself immensely.

I decided to sit back, relax, and focus on anything other than my intense desire to get off this ride realizing it would eventually stop. Watching my little companion revelling in delight helped. Thankfully, the ride did stop before I passed out or got sick.

This morning I was reminded of this incident while reflecting on the roller coaster ride I've been on with my health the past few months, wishing desperately to get off this ride. I enjoy coasting through the highs but dislike the plunges into the lows. Meanwhile this ride continues while I await surgery or healing by another means.

The other ride did eventually stop and so too will this one. I am determined to relax more through it and focus on my current companion through this ordeal, Jesus, who assures me He will never abandon me. I will look to Him for the good that is sure to come, and may even now be in view if I bother to seek out goodness instead of focusing on my pain.

Someone once said, 'What you focus on, grows.' "Pain, it's time you took a back seat so I can see past you to all the goodness around me." I am so very grateful for my current companions on the rides of my life... my husband, my family, my friends, and my Lord. I am also very grateful to know that 'this too shall pass'.

Gratitude is a Discipline

Learning to think and express gratitude when life is throwing you 'crap' is a decided self discipline and, just like brushing your teeth, after consistent effort it becomes easier to do and eventually one can engage it without a second thought.

This morning I was very grateful that my husband was home when we discovered 2 of the neighbor's 3 friendly, rambunctious Husky dogs in our back yard. My husband loves dogs and makes friends with them almost immediately. I tolerate dogs but most of them know that I don't easily give them much affection. Instinctively they gravitate towards me, either to attempt to win my affection or to harass me (I'm guessing the latter!).

Somehow they entered our back yard from their back yard, possibly through a loose fence board. In the short while they enjoyed our premises, their signature was left on our lawn, in my flower beds, and on my glass patio doors. It's a good thing they were discovered by us and their owners in short order before any serious damage was done or I might have had to work harder at exercising amicable behaviour.

Hubby and their owners quickly guided them back to their pen and I surveyed the damage, which in reality was very minimal. Another reason to be grateful.