I probably had the most stressful week of my adult life last week.
Scott and I were in the middle of switching cars. He was cleaning his out and we went ahead and had new tires put on, got an alignment, and had the oil changed. Ended up dropping over $500!
Yeah.
A week later that car was on the side of the road... dead.
aaahhhhhh!
Because Scott works 40 minutes away and this is a new job, I have had to be pretty flexible. Which means finding rides home from work and being without a vehicle for the day while Scott's away.
And yesterday Scott fixed my bike so I can now ride home.
But I just don't know if I'm that girl. Am I?
My goal in life is to be a hippie...minus the drugs...and the smell...the smell of patchouli.
And riding my cute cruiser home is definitely a step in that direction so why am I resisting it?
hmmm...a blossom's dilemma.
I find that I am constantly living in this struggle. I want to be this free spirit and love greatly, yet I can't seem to let even the little things go! And I have a hard enough time being kind and gentle towards my husband much less loving and serving others I've never met selflessly.
Then there is this comfort thing. Something I struggle with the most. I want to live comfortably. I want to feel safe in my neighborhood. I want a full belly. I want a comfy home always at the perfect temperature! Yes, I do. Even after experiencing India!!! How could I still think I need and deserve all these things?
I want to not have to worry about having enough money, but I'm not willing to go out there and get a career. And I will preach all day to others about how they shouldn't love their THINGS, because they are just THINGS. But I am the queen of hoarding and loving my possessions!
And Sunday night we went over again how we are not our own. We belong to Christ. Didn't I learn that in India? Everyday when I went out on the battlefield, my first reaction was to tense up and be afraid of what could happen to me there, of what disease I could catch. I was always reminding myself that this life and my body are not my own. That's how I survived India.
But here and now I am stuck.
Just like I know I should exercise and drink water and limit my Coca-Cola intake. I don't. And I know I should turn the heating pad off, turn the tv off, get out of bed, and go for a walk. I don't.
it's the blossom dilemma I tell ya.
And last week. I felt so heavy. So stressed. Yet I was cared for. Our community reached out and without us asking helped us figure out some car stuff. My family was there to help. And somehow I think this is eventually going to work out for good.
But I couldn't shake it. My body physically hurt from the stress. And for the first time in my life I can't seem to cry. I need to cry. It's my outlet!
I'm not sure if it was the three hour marathon coverage I had watched earlier or what, but I did something Sunday I hadn't done since high school.... I ran. Didn't quite do 26.2 miles, more like .2, but it did make me feel a bit better.
And when I was thinking about how horrible my week was, I thought of Haiti. My heart was still. You know how people always say when faced with stress peoples' response is either FIGHT or FLIGHT. Well, I do neither. I FREEZE.
And that's where I am at with Haiti. I'm frozen. I have no idea how to respond, what I can do.
Perhaps on my rides home, with every pedal I will start to pray for Haiti. And perhaps right now I will turn off Oprah and drink some water.
thanks for letting me blaaahhhhhg
B-buddie! I didn't know about your car! How horrible! I didn't know, but suspected that Scott had a new job (haven't seen the car at KG)! I am SOOOO out of it!
ReplyDeletePlease let me know if you need a ride. I work from home, for goodness sake! I am about 3 minutes, depending on the light at NP & WH and I would LOVE to give you a ride...like tomorrow, since it's supposed to rain!
I think we have some of the same genes...I freeze and crave Lay's potato chips! Haiti? Too big for my brain. And, I agree with most of the rest as it pertains to myself. Went to Moldova, saw people who cannot even control their own heat (city gov't does it) and I am still whining about our weather! Dumb, eh?
-dianna
Ohhh my darling little b, This is precisely why you are so loved and so rare. You can open your heart, your mind, and be willing to face your flaws and admit your failings. I loved it. All of us spend our days like this. Knowing what we should be and do and daily falling short on most of it. But you are also right that Christ always looked into the faces, hearts and souls of each person he met. He knew their faults and failings and still loved them and tried to get them to change and reach for better. You are helping me in the same way. Thank you for your messages. And be careful out there! I love you very much. Ringo
ReplyDeletehey you blaaahhhhgggger...
ReplyDeleteyou can certainly call me for a ride to or from work. i would be happy to do that (if i'm around). for crying out loud, you live, like 2 minutes away, and a ride to work would be, like 4 minutes! call me! but riding your bike is super cool, though. and way to go on the run!
xo, meeka
ps... quit drinking coke :)
Thanks for sharing about the internal conflicts you have! I think we all relate in many ways. - Jenny Crank
ReplyDeleteI love hearing your sweet heart---
ReplyDeleteLaughing so hard at your hippie dilemma and can for sure identify with you in many ways (esp the patchouli--ha!!)...
It is so hard sometimes girl---in the quietness of my heart I question my lifestyle, my "stuff" and yet fear letting go of so many things that "bring me comfort"----even though I KNOW that the letting go is really what brings peace to my heart...
Love hearing what's going on---it is precious to be so sensitive to what its all about. I needed to hear that today! :)
love this post! i get the struggle... i mean i don't get it, but i get it... ya know? i'm trying to figure out how to live in that tension. check out this post by a friend of mine.
ReplyDeletehttp://thedouglassfamily.wordpress.com/2010/02/10/moths-rust-and-three-year-olds/