The Glass is Already Broken

I was cleaning the house one night while my husband was cooking dinner. He had a glass that he was using for bringing dried garlic back to life. This little glass was one of the only things that was really his that he brought along with him when we got married. I had the vacuum out and plugged into the outlet in the kitchen and while vacuuming the cord moved and knocked the glass off the counter. It shattered. I was really upset and felt like a real jerk because I had broken something of his, one of his few items. He wasn't upset at all and just wanted to make sure I didn't cut myself on the glass. He told me, "the glass is already broken". I didn't really get it at the time. So he explained it like this:

Our possessions are going to be gone eventually, we are going to be gone eventually. We will lose those that we love, no matter how hard we try to hang on or worry about it. Our end is inevitable - we will leave this earth eventually no matter what we do. That decision has already been made, that we will die. Our decision is what to do while we are still here - before the glass is broken. We are given the gift of a new day every day that we can either enjoy or spend the whole time worrying about what has already been decided. The glass is already broken, the end is going to happen.

Matthew 6:25-36 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you - you of little faith? So do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The glass is already broken. Enjoy it before it really breaks.

Stuff, and stuff, nonsense, and responsibility

You ever try to blame your problems on the world, fate, luck, karma, satan, God? Feel like the world is out to get you? Do you ever stop and think that maybe, just maybe, the problem might be you? So many people don't want to take responsibility for their problems or the bad things in life. Sure, I think there are outside forces at work, forces of good and forces of evil. But sometimes I wonder how much they leave us to our own devices. Do we need a little devil sitting on our shoulder to do bad things, think bad things, treat others like crap, treat ourselves like crap? I would say no, not really. We as humans pretty much do all that just in our own human nature.

I know it's something I struggle with on a day to day basis. Did the milk overflow in my cup because of some outside force? Nope, it did because I wasn't paying attention and didn't take into account the space required by the mix I added. You've heard "haste makes waste", well it does a lot in my life. Am I am unhealthy and overweight because the devil is trying to bring me down or because God is giving me trials to learn patience. Nope. I am overweight because I eat too much and don't exercise. Pretty plain and simple. Eating too much and not exercising then leads to other diseases (PCOS, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was related to my MS).

And sometimes life just happens. People live, people die. They don't really ask us for permission first either, I think that's why we get mad. We want to control every last second and heaven forbid an accident occur that changes our routine. We think that our loved ones can live forever and we get mad when they fail us. We spend time trying to develop a "fountain of youth" despite the overpopulation that is already occurring.

Today I am going to start trying to take responsibility for me. If something screws up, and it's my fault, then I am going to own it. I won't get mad or think the milk is out to get me. I will simply say, well, looks like I messed up, better luck next time! I am making the choice about what I am putting in my body as well. No one is shoving food in my mouth (doing a good enough job myself thank you very much). If I stop doing it then it won't be happening at all!  If I take on too much and get stressed out then it is my job to not be mad at the people who asked but strict with myself about cutting back and saying "no". My chance to be better, to feel better, and by gosh, to look better too.

Here goes nothing!