You’ve had them. The kind of days in the life of Garfield the Cat that everything goes wrong as far as he is concerned. Owner Jon lets the cat bowl get empty. The mice gang up on him. He is accused of shedding hair even in the toothbrush. The only solution in some cases like that is to curl back up in a cat box and sleep it off.
Monday threatened to be like that. I wrapped up Sunday and went to bed with a doable list for the next day. I arose, but my get up and go was dragging its heels. First thing, the coffee brewed clear water. The night before I had taken step one and had walked away before the important step two of adding coffee was accomplished. Morning routine was pushed back while I regrouped. Then I moved to the NYT Mini Puzzle which wakes up my brain and three of the clues were current culture that required my looking up the answer. I thought just eating cereal would help except I missed the bowl and spilled a pint of blueberries on the floor. By then bed seemed the only solution. Head touched the pillow and the phone rang. It was a robot call reminding me of a doctor’s appointment on Wednesday. Push 1 to confirm.
What’s the solution to a day like that? I called on HOWEVER, and that turned what was happening around. However is one of twenty-seven words called Conjunctive Adverbs that help make six different changes in the relation between clauses in a sentence. STOP! Do not run off. There is no test. I am mentioning this particular one because it brings hope to what is going on and offers a manageable outcome.This is how it works. The pot only offered heated water; however, I was able to start over and have coffee in just a few minutes. The puzzle had clues not in my life knowledge; however, the internet helped open up my remembering another word. Blueberries rolled over the floor; however, I gathered them in a sieve, washed them off, and all was well. The mantra for rescuing a world falling apart is to state the problem and then say,” Semi-colon ;however, comma” and look for a way to repair.
I did go back to bed and about 9:30 I was able to face my list and ended up with a productive day by my standards. That doesn’t mean the ups and downs won’t happen again, maybe on a Thursday. However, (see how easily it comes to mind) I did have an option. I could affirm a poor me mode or I could see if my bootstraps were strong enough to help me stand upright. They were! The apostle Paul looked at his collection of days and drew the same conclusion, just stated differently.
I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.
Philippians 4:11 – 12
Let Me Tell Ya 