Are you rowing?
"Pray to God, but row to shore".....wise words don't you think? They were said pointedly to me the other day in regards to accepting the verdict of a health insurance company about what kind of benefits I'm entitled to. The gist of the conversation was that I may have to pay for some services out of pocket while waiting for the insurance company to approve. I love quotes like that that grab my attention and stick with me begging to be mulled over and blogged about later. ;)
I was about 25 when I first learned that the phrase "God helps those who help themselves" was indeed not in the Bible. I couldn't believe it! But a quick search of my good friend Wikipedia tells me that the words originated in Ancient Greece and a variant can be found in the Quran! Oh the things you learn when you do a bit of research. And I am positive that everything I read on the internet is true! Isn't it??!
Whomever first uttered those words or the spirit in which they have been passed down all these millennia was surely on to something. I'm a firm believer that there is always SOMETHING we can do personally to improve our situation. ALWAYS. My Mom taught me that lesson early on, in such a grassroots way. We would be in the kitchen, and I was learning how to organize myself with making sure that a meal with a few different dishes would all come out at the same time, piping hot, not too soggy, just so, and the goal was that the kitchen would be cleaned up as I went along. That could be such a daunting task for someone completely new at homemaking! But she told me, "Don't spend too much time making sure you are doing the best thing, just do SOMETHING. Take care of what task lies nearest, and that will give your mind time to organize the next few steps." Wow. I don't think she ever realized until perhaps reading this post how much that affected my life. You can apply that to EVERYTHING!
Got lots of house to clean? Overwhelmed? Pick a room, any room, and tidy it. Move to the next room. Keep moving. Dealing with a personal crisis? Identify it, and move forward. Take a step, any step. Row that boat. And as always, when you have a big bite to chew, ask God for guidance, wisdom and strength. That's a given. But ROW THAT BOAT. DO something. It will give you clarity and help you not feel like you are sinking. There are days of course where all a person can manage is to roll from one side to the next all the while maintaining the fetal position. Life can steamroll us at times.
In times like this I encourage you to make a bet with yourself. Brace yourself. This is gonna be huge. You ready? Take a shower. Yup. Take a shower. Make a bite to eat. Put that dish in the dishwasher, and maybe a few more. Open up the curtains. Go get the mail...you get the idea. Some days we can row big strokes. Other days it will be more like slapping the paddles on the water. But keep moving forward. Just keep pushing through it. It WILL get easier.
As always....
...Make it a great day!!
I was about 25 when I first learned that the phrase "God helps those who help themselves" was indeed not in the Bible. I couldn't believe it! But a quick search of my good friend Wikipedia tells me that the words originated in Ancient Greece and a variant can be found in the Quran! Oh the things you learn when you do a bit of research. And I am positive that everything I read on the internet is true! Isn't it??!
Whomever first uttered those words or the spirit in which they have been passed down all these millennia was surely on to something. I'm a firm believer that there is always SOMETHING we can do personally to improve our situation. ALWAYS. My Mom taught me that lesson early on, in such a grassroots way. We would be in the kitchen, and I was learning how to organize myself with making sure that a meal with a few different dishes would all come out at the same time, piping hot, not too soggy, just so, and the goal was that the kitchen would be cleaned up as I went along. That could be such a daunting task for someone completely new at homemaking! But she told me, "Don't spend too much time making sure you are doing the best thing, just do SOMETHING. Take care of what task lies nearest, and that will give your mind time to organize the next few steps." Wow. I don't think she ever realized until perhaps reading this post how much that affected my life. You can apply that to EVERYTHING!
Got lots of house to clean? Overwhelmed? Pick a room, any room, and tidy it. Move to the next room. Keep moving. Dealing with a personal crisis? Identify it, and move forward. Take a step, any step. Row that boat. And as always, when you have a big bite to chew, ask God for guidance, wisdom and strength. That's a given. But ROW THAT BOAT. DO something. It will give you clarity and help you not feel like you are sinking. There are days of course where all a person can manage is to roll from one side to the next all the while maintaining the fetal position. Life can steamroll us at times.
In times like this I encourage you to make a bet with yourself. Brace yourself. This is gonna be huge. You ready? Take a shower. Yup. Take a shower. Make a bite to eat. Put that dish in the dishwasher, and maybe a few more. Open up the curtains. Go get the mail...you get the idea. Some days we can row big strokes. Other days it will be more like slapping the paddles on the water. But keep moving forward. Just keep pushing through it. It WILL get easier.
...Make it a great day!!
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