Wednesday 3 August 2011

Spray on Shoes

I love the film 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs'.  My favourite line is just after Flint Lockwood shows the class his invention, his wonderful solution to the problem of untied shoelaces - Spray on Shoes.  Unfortunately, he hadn't worked out how to get them off!!


It has become a metaphor in our house to take responsibility for our own actions.  Life will throw lots of stuff at us and, likewise we will throw stuff at others in our home and outside.  I have noticed in my life that it is easy to blame others or circumstances.

  • No friends - 'People just don't talk to me'.  
  • Lack of Happiness -  'I need something else to fulfill me then I will be happy!'  
  • Lack of status - 'I just didn't have the opportunities others had.'  

I could go on but as I get older I know that a lot of what happens in life can be affected by my attitude to it.  I have to take responsibility, get up and do things.

Nobody is going to give me qualifications on a plate and that is why a few years ago I went out and got some.  I endeavour to study for more.

Nobody is going to invent a magic-pill to get me on a plane.  I will have to pray lots and trust God if I want to do that. And I have to do that if I want to go to other countries for holidays and mission trips.

Nobody can force me to be a more positive person.  Only I can do that by trusting God, counting my blessings and experience the wonder of the world around me.

Nobody is going to find friends for me and bring them around to my house so they can bask in my marvelous presence.  I need to get out there and make friends of the incredible people I already know.  I need to pick up that phone, write that text or email.

I can't blame the way I am on the fact I am a Pastor's wife, a Pastor's child, the 2nd oldest in my famiily, being short or wearing glasses.  God created me.  He gave me a brain and I must use it creatively to live here and now, in the moment in which I am.  I am not good at that; I still believe that if I run hard enough I will run away from my own feet.  However, I can't, they aren't that bad and if I work with the gifts God has given I will get kind of used to them.

Disclaimer:  I am well aware that sometimes life brings up stuff that no amount of the right attitude can sort out and I am not referring to those things in this post.  I am talking of the things that we can do something about.