Color me...

I was a little blue the other day. Literally. My boys and I were coloring eggs for Easter, and as I was helping them, I barely touched the blue dye with one finger for about half of a second, and it stained my finger for two days. TWO DAYS! Less than one second of contact with the dye left it's mark for 48 hours. I was amazed that something so seemingly insignificant could leave such a powerful reminder of what I had been doing.

Here's the part where I started thinking...because that's my thing. I like to analyze and overthink everything. Maybe somewhere I could be accused of being an educator, but I look for the "teachable moments" in the mundane things of life. I didn't necessarily gain anything extraordinary right away. In fact, it was later on that I made the connection.

Several days after the "Blue Dye Incident," as I've come to call it--I can be a bit dramatic at times--I read an editorial about songs that get in your head and stay there for days and days. Suddenly, all the synapses fired, and the connection was made.

You see, with some songs, it only takes hearing a split-second or a fraction of the song to bring the whole song to mind, if you know the song. In some situations, you only get to hear a snippet of the music, and suddenly that's all you hear in your mind's ear for the next two days! The same type of thing can happen with movie quotes. To this day, if anyone uses the word "Inconceivable," I am immediately transported to the land of Giants, Men in black masks, and Miracle Max, and can very clearly hear Inigo Montoya saying to Vezzini: "You keep using that word...I do not think it means what you think it means..." (Rent "The Princess Bride" if you don't get it.)

My point is this. Little things can stick with you, and can have an effect on you. Even if it is almost imperceptible, there is a change that takes place, and it doesn't take long. A catchy musical hook or clever movie line need only to be heard one time to change your memories and stay with you forever. Blue dye can leave it's mark for two days with the tiniest amount of contact. The things we allow to pass before our eyes and through our ears will have an effect on us whether we want to admit it or not. Therefore, it makes sense that we need to examine what we purposefully allow to cross the barriers of our senses, and make sure we are not putting things there that will pull us in a negative, downward direction.

Some argue that these things won't have any effect on them, and that's it's just my opinion. To me, that's like saying, "I don't believe that bus will have any effect on me" as you step in front of the oncoming Greyhound. At some point there will be a collision of your beliefs and reality. I just hope it's not as messy as the bus thing.

We cannot control every single thing that comes into our perception. But, when we do have the choice, we should be aware that it will affect us, and so we should wisely determine what we allow to entertain us. Your mind is yours, and the decisions you make are ultimately yours. Each of us has the responsibility to recognize what things affect us more than others and make our selections based on who we were created to be, and whether or not what we allowing into our minds and hearts will encourage that, or make it more difficult to be the person that pleases God.

Enough Love

The other day, we were in a sandwich place after having been out all afternoon. They boys hadn't had their nap, and they were a bit grumpy. But, still trying to fight this, one of them turns to play with the other. (Why do we let them sit next to each other in a booth, again?) However, the younger brother decides that he's not in the mood, and puts his hand on his brother's face, and pushes him away.

Of course, this was the end of the world to the older twin, and he put up a shout. We turned to the grumpy bear and say, "He was just trying to give you some love!" We try to encouraged loving behavior in our family, and we feel that this helps. Even if it doesn't. However, the grouchy kid looks at us with a scowl on his face and says, "I have enough love!"

We fell out laughing. Never did I imagine that such a phrase would come out of his mouth. I can certainly understand being a bit tired of your siblings, and I can understand not wanting to goof around, but I would not have imagined that response. Now, I realize that in his mind, he didn't literally mean he had enough love for the day. He just meant that he was done playing right then and there. But the words still brought laughter.

Can you imagine if someone you cared about said "I love you," and your reply was, "uh...thanks, but I have enough love!" It just doesn't happen that way. We all like having love in our lives. We don't always enjoy showing it, and at certain times, we don't always feel like receiving love in various forms, but I do not for one minute think that there are people out there that simply do not want love of any kind. I believe we are all made with the innate ability to demonstrate some kind of love, and the even subconscious desire to have some love and affection directed towards ourselves. I haven't done research or anything, but it's just my thought.

1 John 4:8 simply says, "...God is Love." There are a bunch of people out there who will tell you that what this means is that if you can love someone else, then you are a god yourself. I disagree whole-heartedly. What I believe this means is that unless we know the giver, creator, and very essence of love itself, which is God, then we are not capable of loving in our full capacity. There are parents out there who don't have any relationship with God that love their children fiercely. I'm not implying that you can't love at all. I am saying that why would you settle for a two-gallon supply of love when you could freely tap into The never-ending tanker?

Do you love others the best that you can? If you haven't ever entered a relationship with God, then my challenge is to give Him a try. He has demonstrated His love, and promises us that with the Holy Spirit, that comes to us in a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, we can demonstrate love to a whole new level, and we will experience HIS love to heights we never before imagined. That way, instead of wondering if we have enough love, we can know that His is Love enough.

Scenes From the Rear-view Mirror

This morning during my quiet time, I rememer specifically praying that today I would find humor in the things that usually bring frustration. Not necessarily "Bah ha ha!" laugh-out-loud funny humor, but a light-hearted approach and the ability to smile or laugh it off.

Here's a great little story of how God answers those prayers. As the boys and I were waiting to pull out of our neighborhood, a lady in front of us waited forever to make her left turn, forgetting that there was a lane specifically created to turn into and wait for a spot in the oncoming traffic. If she had gone into that lane, she could have merged more quickly at least five or six times that I saw.

After a good four minutes of waiting, the guy waiting behind me finally lost his cool, and shot around both of us to turn the same way, and made a very inconsiderate and Kamikaze left turn in front of both myself, and the car in front of me. So, needless to say, I was a bit frustrated. She finally went, and I finally got to turn left into that extra "merge" lane. When I did, a kind driver coming my way flashed their lights to let me go in front, so I acknowledged their friendly gesture with a wave towards the back window.

My boys were in the back seat, and they asked why I was waving. I told them it was good manners to say "Thank You" to people when they do something nice, and the car behind us let us in, which was a nice thing to do, so we waved to say thanks. A little while later, I found myself getting cut-off several times while we were in the merge lane on the Interstate (imagine that). Suddenly, I notice these little hands waving in the rear-view mirror. I asked the boys what they were doing, and they said, "We're using good manners and saying thank you!" I had to laugh, and suddenly the frustration was gone!

The rest of the ride was pretty easy, because every time someone cut in front of us, or behind us, my little gentlemen-in-training said "Thank You" by waving at each and every one of them. (Even though some of them were not actually doing nice things.)

It's neat how God can take something and use it to bring a smile to our face, if we are willing to let Him do so. I can't promise that tomorrow morning I won't get frustrated at the countless number of selfish drivers. But today, God showed Himself faithful, and reminded me that He is in control, even during ridiculous traffic.