Beat The Conundrums
Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at 11:44PM Ever had one of those days?
You know what I mean.
One of those days when no matter where you turn there is nothing but a blank wall ... blank, that is, except for the cranium-sized circle drawn in bright red with these words scribbled beneath: "Beat Head Here."
Just because someone says something about you does not make it true. You're not obligated to accept someone else's "take" on either your actions or your motives.
Days when no matter what you say or do, you find that you have been inexorably misinterpreted, misunderstood, and misapprehended. You have consistently miscalculated, misspoken, and misstepped. Your energies have been so misappropriated, if you're not careful you'll misspell your own name.
You begin to feel as though you've stumbled upon the smooth hide of an enigma stuffed with a clever riddle wrapped tightly in a membrane of inscrutability and hermetically sealed inside a conundrum labeled in 100-point Helvetica: "MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE" ... and it's ticking, and you've got four point two seconds to crack the code. Or else.
But crack it you do. Because you've had good teachers and along the way you've learned that no matter how complicated stuff gets, some things are pretty simple.
So you take a deep breath and do a quick review of a couple things, to wit:
It is okay to say "NO" and mean "NO" when "NO" is the only answer that makes any sense. It's fine to say it several times if you have to.
Just because someone says something about you does not make it true. You're not obligated to accept someone else's "take" on either your actions or your motives.
You can't expect others to see it your way every time. Sometimes you have to compromise.
If you have asked someone to forgive you and they won't, there's nothing else you can do. Forget about it and move on.
You will never regret being as honest with yourself as it is possible to be.
Life is shorter and more precious than at first imagined. So, work hard to make your dreams come true and don't let anyone rain on your parade.
If someone rains on your parade anyway, put up your umbrella and keep marching. Sing louder.
And on a more spiritual plane, these thoughts:
There are eternal truths that we disregard at our peril. "We" means everyone.
There is one God, creator of the universe and mankind. He is sovereign and we are His servants.
Although there are other authorities in our lives, ultimately it is God to whom we are accountable.
Our personal philosophies and viewpoints are meaningless except to the extent they align with God's Word, the Bible.
What God identified in His Word as wrong is still wrong. It's wrong no matter what society says.
There are consequences to our actions. God is not mocked.
Our life is but a vapor and eternity is ... well, eternity. The soul will live forever.
There is one way to Heaven: faith in Jesus Christ, who died to take away the sins of the world.
No matter how much we sin or stray, God loves us and stands ready to forgive if we but ask. He is as merciful as He is faithful.
God will restore to us the years that the locust has eaten (Joel 2:25).
It will be worth it all when we see Jesus. If we have trusted Him, that is.
See? Simple.
Reader Comments (3)
Thanks so much--I needed that--especially #2! I have had it up to my neck with people that think that I don't care and am not compassionate because I simply don't agree with them! One of the things I've learned about myself is that I seem to care what other people think about the recommendations I make and these are people I do not know and who I will never come into contact with again. I really don't get it. I have to tell myself over and over that I don't do this to be liked.
I know just what you mean, luv!
Very wise reminders. I think these things become easier and better understood and more appreciated, the older we get (even though I, myself, am not that old, of course).