Every Once In A While

Last week had me on an emotional roller coaster. Even though my life at times may be going at tremendous speed and I’m hanging on for dear life, for the most part my emotions stay on a level plane; joyful and thankful. I can say 99% of the time I wake up happy and looking forward to the day.

Even as the events of the day progresses and situations occur that could easily rain on my parade, I open up my umbrella and move on. But, once in awhile my umbrella jams and I find myself having a full fledged, feel sorry for myself pity party– getting soaked to the bone.

Yep, that’s what happened last week and being a festive person I decorated for my pity party. I went all out, putting up balloons and streamers everywhere.  I don’t just put up streamers for my current weeks pity party; like my sister being diagnosed with breast cancer, or the economy so far in the toilet we don’t have a plunger big enough to fix it, or that I don’t have what it takes to finish the book I started two years ago. No, no, no, I go back years, put up more streamers of pity about all the unfairness and injustice of a lifetime.

I know I’m not alone in this, author Missy Morrow wrote about her own pity party after hearing of her cancer diagnosis. She was much more sociable than myself and invited guests, who I know for fact, were trying to crash my party.
    
 “When I heard of my cancer diagnosis, I threw myself a party–a pity party.The first guest to appear was Fear. In his gift, I found the fear of losing  friends and facing financial pressure and my own mortality. Next  to arrive was Doubt. Inside his gift was the doubt of whether I would see my children grow up and would be attractive when this was over. Not far behind was Anger. His gift contained anger at how cancer would turn my life upside down, and yes anger at God. Dread seemed to take his time getting to the party. His gift was the dread of the treatments and losing my identity.
The last guest to appear was Jesus. I raced toward Him and quickly opened His gift to discover:

                        Hope…promise for the future

                        Strength…the ability to endure

                        Grace….God’s Help

                        Comfort… in pain, trouble and anxiety

                        Peace….calmness

                        Healing….restoration of mind, spirit, and body

                        Joy…..a sense of well-being

                        Love… compassion and devotion shown by God…..”

All of us, every once in awhile, will have a pity party, and that’s ok. Just remember not to leave the decorations up too long, invite Jesus and make Him a permanent guest.

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5b

Morrow, Missy and Ann Scuggs. “Throw Yourself a Party.” Praying Through Cancer

Susan Sorensen and Laura Geist. Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 2006.7-8