Oops, Sorry! days

We still have them occasionally. We had one this morning. They usually happen in the mornings. Times when stuff gets a little edgy, we're grumpy, meds haven't kicked in yet and we say things we don't mean....but can't take back. I was bringing her to school. We were nitpicking back and forth. I should have stopped it, but I got sucked into the argument dance. I could have stopped talking....and prayed. We used to do that on the way to school. When did we stop? Why did we stop?

Instead our morning exchange as she gets out of the car has been: Her: ugh! I'm going to have a bad day. Me: Be positive! (somewhat cheerily) Her: OK, I'm positive I'm going to have a bad day.  We each give a half-hearted smile and go about our day.

We're joking. Kind of.

Oops, sorry! really doesn't cover it. However, it became the way my daughter and I would refer to the days when things don't go quite as planned. When we're not as nice to each other as we could be. There are longer spans in between them now. For awhile when she was younger? It was pretty much a daily occurrence.

I have them with other people too. Those days don't necessarily get "named" anything, but you know when they happen. Days when you or others around you feel out of sorts....and we take it out on those unlucky enough to be around us at the time.

So what do we do? Ideally, we head them off before they start. Good theory. We learned sometimes we just need to walk away for a bit.....before we say more things we'll need to say sorry for....and talk later.

The main thing is that we say we're sorry and know that we really do love each other....even on oops, sorry days.....especially on oops, sorry days.

Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV) 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

The Beauty or the Beast (a fable)

The Beauty or the Beast (a fable)

Once upon a time in a far off land, there was a story that floated around a kingdom. A story of a magical item that would show the owner his or her best friend and his or her worst enemy.

Many people searched far and wide over the kingdom for this magical item. It should be worth a great price when it was found. 

One day, a young girl was cleaning up in her grandma’s castle attic. This girl was truly beautiful inside and out. However, she never realized it about herself. There were kids at the local school that were cruel not just to her, but to many others as well. She always wished that someone would stand up to them. She wished it could be her. Unfortunately, she knew that fairy godmothers weren’t real and wishes don’t always come true.

While she was cleaning, she almost knocked a very dusty box off a shelf. As she went to catch it, she noticed some very nicely lettered words:

“The contents of this box will show the owner his or her best friend and his or her worst enemy.  Open at your own risk.”

THIS box must contain the item from the long told story. The girl’s curiosity got the best of her. She eagerly and carefully lowered the box to the floor and proceeded to open it.

Inside she found…… a mirror. “That’s it?” she angrily exclaimed, “There are mirrors all over the kingdom. Why is this one any different?”

She lifted the mirror and as she truly saw herself a small piece of paper floated to the floor. It said:

While an ordinary mirror this may appear,

Let it show you very clear.

The person you know you are and others see

Or believe what the beast tries to tell you to be.

YOU can be your best friend….or your worst enemy.

Moral of the story: We can be so hard on ourselves and so caught up in what others opinions are of us that we fail to see how truly wonderful we are.  The “beast” in your life may be at your school, in your house….or worst of all in your own head. Let your beauty shine. It is SO much more than what appears in a mirror.

Isaiah 61:3 (NIV) to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.