Thankful Thursday: Difficult People

I’m pretty sure that in every profession (except maybe being a hermit-and maybe not even then), there are difficult people to deal with. There are crabby coworkers, cussing customers, and cantankerous crowds. There are people who emote too much and people who emote too little. People on power trips and people who just NEVER speak up. Passive-aggressive people and just plain old passive or aggressive people. People that drive you nuts.

Sometimes it’s hard to be thankful for difficult people–until I remember that God is using them to work His image into me. To which I say, “Then bring ’em on!”

Thankful Thursday banner

This week, I’m thankful for…

…learning to keep my mouth shut

…learning to open my mouth

…learning to shut my ears to gossip

…learning to really listen to people

…learning to let things roll off my back

…learning to not back down when something important needs done

I haven’t learned it all yet.

I get worked up about unimportant things. I bottle up anger at people and never tell them. I act passive-aggressively. I ignore problems sometimes.

But I’m growing.

And I’m thankful for the opportunities to grow…
thanks to some difficult people
I know.


Overwhelmed, including laundry room photos

Laundry room picture

I am feeling overwhelmed by all the work that keeping house means. Keeping tidy, keeping up on the dishes, mopping and vacuuming every so often. Meals every day, laundry before the clothes run out, trash before the house starts to smell. Trying to get the lawn mowed between raindrops, learning how to clip a hedge, wondering why my green beans didn’t take.

I’ve decided I’m going to take things one step at a time so as not to get (too) overwhelmed.

Yesterday’s step?

The laundry room. Sweep the floor, tidy the bottles, remove the stuff that doesn’t belong.

At least one room in the house is in order (for now.)

Laundry room picture

I’m also feeling overwhelmed with opportunities.

I have four middle school girls who craft or sew with me regularly and a few more who do so less frequently (or would like to do so eventually). I’ve got some friends I’d like to do Bible study with, and a new friend who’d like to do Bible study with me (Yay!) I just started what I think might become my favorite part of the week–reading to dementia patients in our long term care facility. And tomorrow, I’m going to babysit for my pastor’s wife!

I love that I have so many relationships in this city I found myself surprisingly transplanted into six months ago.

But, like the rooms in my house, the new abundance of relationships has me somewhat overwhelmed.

I imagine I’ll “manage” them in the same way.

One at a time, taking time to love and be loved.

Laundry room picture

Basically, I’m overwhelmed by how rich and how full and how amazingly over-the-top my life is.

A year ago, I was in a completely different place, dreaming completely different dreams, having an awfully difficult time.

Today, I am in a town I’d never imagined I’d be in…
working at a job I never imagined I’d work at…
living in a home I never imagined I’d live in…
with relationships I’d never dreamed I’d have.

I’m simply overwhelmed with how full this life I never chose is…
and overwhelmed with thankfulness to the God who chose this life for me.


The Week (Wed-Tues)

Tally as Tuesday afternoon:
Nights out past ten-4
Trips to Grand Island-2
Trips to Lincoln-2
Hours spent in a car-11
Hours spent driving-8

Confessions:
Confession #1: I hate to drive
Confession #2: I hate to be out late
Confession #3: I love my baby sister

Which is why I took another trip into Lincoln,
spent another couple house driving,
and stayed out late another night–
So that I could see my little sister’s
final Junior year show choir concert.


I’m not here

Except that I am.

Or maybe I’m not.

I haven’t been online much lately…

not for any reason in particular, just for lots of reasons in general.

Reason 1?

My little brother came home from boot camp for his ten day leave starting last weekend–meaning that I spent the weekend in Lincoln with family.

Reason 2:

I am exhausted. Whether my all-too-active brain lets me sleep or not, I definitely haven’t had a lot of extra energy for anything extra.

And apparently the internet counts as extra.

Actually, pretty much anything but falling asleep on a book counts as extra.

I hope I catch another wind soon, ’cause this gets old really quickly.

Reason 3:

I have nothing to write about. (That is, nothing coherent to write about.)

Thanks to reason 1, I have had fun events occurring in my life. But thanks to reason 2, I have not even thought about how those fun events might turn into fun stories.

Thanks to reason 2, I have been reading. But thanks to reason 2, I have not felt like reviewing.

So, there you have it.

That’s why I’m not here.


Assistance from unexpected quarters

“Rebekah, do you know my daughter?” she asked.

I racked my brain trying to think if I’d been introduced to this coworker’s daughter. I don’t remember having been.

She continued, “Because she was asking me if I knew you.”

Oh, I thought, so I wouldn’t have met her through her mother.

Then how?

“S– is her mother-in-law.”

My eyes widened in surprise and recognition–and I nodded my head, “Okay, uh-huh.”

I hadn’t met her–but I recognize the connections now, at least.

Daughter-in-law to one of the gals in my Sunday-school-hour “flock” at church, sister-in-law to one of the girls I’m teaching to sew. Okay.

“I guess S–‘s been telling her what a great girl you are–so she’s trying to figure out who to set you up with.”

Wow, I thought, talk about assistance from unexpected quarters.

But I inclined my head and indicated that her daughter’s assistance was not unwelcome.

My coworker offered to screen potential set-ups.

With a laugh, I agreed that this also was welcome.


Trash Talk

Wanna hear something gross?

I just took my trash to the dump today…

for the first time all year.

Disgusting, isn’t it?

But here’s the thing.

Even though we’d been collecting trash for three months, we only had three trash cans not quite full. (I probably coulda gotten it into two if I’d tried.)

So the ten dollar minimum fee at the dump comes out to about $3.33 per trash can.

Still a little steep.

Problem is, now that it’s no longer freezing outside, I really can’t wait that long to take trash to the dump. It’ll start to smell long before then.

But ten dollars for the measly bag of trash we collect in a week?

I haven’t priced the trash services around town, but I sorta feel like almost anything would feel like overkill for the wee bit of trash we collect.

So what do you think? How would you deal if you had too little trash to make taking-it-to-the-dump/hiring-a-service-to-take-it-to-the-dump-for-you worthwhile?


Shelves

Shelving. Not exactly the most scintillating topic.

But a worthwhile one.

Often the shelves are simply box store prefabs, not particularly spectacular, except for what’s on them.

What’s on a shelf can contain a wealth of knowledge. (This particular shelf is a bit empty because I just moved a slew of reference books into my office at work.)

Shelf

What’s on a shelf can make a home beautiful, or fill a home with wonderful food. (I forgot to take a picture of my cookbook cupboard–sorry!)

Shelf

What’s on a shelf can entertain, relax, or inspire thought. (Perhaps you recognize that there are multiple copies of a few books–perils of combining collections with someone who likes many of the same books.)

Shelf

What’s on a shelf can help one draw near to God.

Shelf

What’s on a shelf can be beautiful, can speak the words of Scripture.

Shelf

Of course, up until now, I’ve only spoken of Walmart shelves, Shopko shelves. Particle board pre-fabs put together with dummy proof screws. Shelves that sag under the weight of their contents.

But sometimes the shelf is
made by a craftsman.
Solid and sturdy,
Built to last

Sometimes it’s a gift.

Shelf

Even if I don’t know exactly where to put it
or what to do with it,
the shelf is a gift.

(This particular shelf was given to me at my “shelf party”. The giver’s husband made it years ago, before he died, leaving my friend a widow.)


Dance Partners

He was talking with his friends after the Macarena, discussing what they would do next.

I watched with bemusement, then with surprise, as he lifted his hand, pointed at me, and declared “I want to dance with HER.”

And dance with me he did.

Except for the snowball dance, where we were each forced to seek new partners, he danced with me all night, until he reluctantly said goodbye…

…when his parents said it was time to go home.

He was four.


Down for a day

It gave up the ghost Thursday morning ’round about eight.

I gave up on it Thursday night ’round about midnight.

Finally this afternoon, with the help of my father, I got my internet back up again.

I’m glad it’s going again

I’m glad to be blogging again, to be able to check my e-mail and read my blogs.

I’m glad to be able to look up interesting information quickly and check on whether that book I just read about is at my library.

I’m not glad for what I discovered while it was down.

I discovered that when my internet is down, I’m off-center.

I’m fumbling for what to do.

I’m anxious about what I might be missing.

But the internet shouldn’t be my center.

I don’t want my life to revolve around the web.

I want my life to revolve around Christ.

I want my mind to always be seated with Him in heavenly places…

…not down for a day with the internet.