Life is an adventure. Always.
It doesn’t matter how prepared you think you are to manage whatever life may throw at you- it always has a way of catching you off-guard. What do you do when things do not go the way you expected them to go? Do you throw in the towel and walk away, or do you square your shoulders and push forward? When you love someone and struggles arise, do you stop loving them or fight for that love? How you manage obstacles determines your attitude toward your life, not your circumstances.
My refrigerator stopped working 12 weeks ago....
It stopped working in the middle of the night, and we awoke to a hot mess. Even more frustrating- thanks to a prolonged warranty process, I am still without a refrigerator! Thankfully, we had a backup. Ron bought a plug-in cooler at a garage sale for $20 last summer to have cold water in the barn. We are now using a small cooler to keep a minimal amount of food cold. Cooking and prepping food have become a struggle!
To give you more context about what a struggle this has been, allow me to rewind to the week the refrigerator stopped working-
I was busy planning my daughter’s graduation party. We had decided to make our food to save money. I had my list of food, the amounts I needed for the guests, and my budget ready to go way in advance. I was prepared. I knew nothing ever goes exactly as planned, so I had allotted plenty of time to accommodate any disruptions to my plan. Or so I thought. One week before the party, my refrigerator stopped working. I had a big party to prepare for, but nowhere to store the food!
I was panicked! Then, I remembered the small cooler in my barn. What a lifesaver! Although what I wanted was my normal-sized refrigerator to be working. I was so grateful to have the small cooler in my kitchen. I have had to adjust my attitude several times over the past 12 weeks as I have longingly looked at the big, broken fridge sitting in my kitchen. I resented having to change my lifestyle to accommodate the little cooler. I learned to love this little cooler. Without it, we would not have any perishable food in our home. I have learned to appreciate what I have and stop focusing on what I do not have.
This experience has reminded me of the times I resented raising my kids alone outside the fences. I resented not having Ron at home and longed to be a “normal” family. In that season, I learned to appreciate the beauty of our family. Instead of despising our challenges, I learned to be grateful that we were together, fighting for our family to make it. I was not alone. It was not the life I had hoped for and not the life I wanted, but I fell in love with our lives somewhere along our journey. The inherent beauty of the struggle became more evident and more apparent with each obstacle we overcome. Eventually, we could rise and see the bigger picture of the legacy we were building.
If you are disgusted with your life right now and spending your time longing for something you cannot have, this message is for you. The life you long for is a fantasy. It does not exist. But you can build a wonderful life despite your disappointments. Love the life you have, invest in making the best of your circumstances, and watch your joy and contentment multiply.
I am rooting for you!
Cathy