I’ve Got Some Bad News and Good News

How many times have we heard that statement? We’re reluctant to hear the bad news but at the same time so relieved to hear there’s some good in the mix. The only question that remains is which to hear first.

Recently I had a revelation; a big ah-ha moment that has changed forever the way I think about the “good news-bad news” phenomenon. What if the “bad” news was also the “good” news? Bear with me a moment and let me roll out my thought process…

A few months ago when I was in Tampa for the “I Can Do It” seminar I called home to check in with the hubby. I could sense immediately that something was wrong and sure enough his mother had fallen and broken her leg. Mom celebrated her 86th birthday in August and has been struggling with foot and leg pain for a while now, and her eyesight has been deteriorating as well; all a result of diabetes. Getting around was a challenge for her already and now a broken leg…yes, this was definitely bad news.

However, I was already in day three of my “I Can Do It” experience. I had received a hug and a kiss from Wayne Dyer, saw Louise Hay gush over pictures of my niece and nephew, heard the greatest motivational speakers share about God’s hand in our lives and His miracles (not their rarity, but their frequency), and saw scientific evidence proving the existence of Divine support (as if I needed more). The underlying message throughout the event was that we are part of a greater plan, contributing to a greater purpose, supported and loved by a greater Power. Thus, everything that happens, happens for a reason.

But what could possibly be the reason for my mother-in-law having to suffer yet another blow to her health? Well…with the broken bone and surgery to repair it, Mom will be getting some physical therapy; I’m sure that will contribute to her ability to get around in a more stable fashion in the future. Maybe eating meals and taking her medications under the supervision of medical staff will improve her health overall. And Dad…well the best of Dad comes out in times like these. At the age of 90, his Marine training kicks in and…how shall I say it…everything from meals to laundry becomes a little more regimented.

Wow, maybe some “good” could come out of this. I started to think back at other “bad” experiences from my past and found that even the “worst of the worst” of them had set into motion events that in hindsight support my happiness today.

From our vantage point it’s impossible for us to see the greater plan for our lives. We must stop labeling anything as “bad” because it might actually be for our “good”. What if instead we imagine the best that could arise from the situation and look for the lesson or gift that is hiding there for us?

O.k., humor me one last time… “I’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news IS the good news.”

Kim,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
“If you don't change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?” ~ W. Somerset Maugham

A Brick is usually not Small Stuff

I caught myself this week! All this talk about worry, fear, and anxiety this month . . . I should’ve seen it coming. I should have detected the signs . . . An upcoming deadline, and approaching meeting that I feared was going to have a bad outcome, friends having a disagreement, and a list of To-Do’s a mile long. I had developed a knot in my stomach and my shoulders felt a bit heavy; physical conditions that had it written all over them. And, my patience was wearing thin; I admit it, I was a tad bit crabby. It is all so clear now as I look back over the course of the last week; I was becoming consumed by worry and fear of not getting everything done, wanting to fix my friend’s relationship, and hoping for a certain outcome from the meeting.

Then, I got lucky and received “my brick”. I refer to it as “my brick” ever since this story was shared with me many years ago.

An executive was driving down a neighborhood street in his new expensive car. He was in a hurry talking on his cell phone. Suddenly, he saw children playing on the side of the road. He muttered something about “stupid kids” to himself as he slowed down.

Then, he heard a thud. Something had hit the side of his car. He slammed on brakes and jumped out of the car. He saw a dent in the car door and a brick lying on the street. The man turned toward the kids and shouted, “Who threw that brick?” Fixing that dent is going to be expensive!” He was furious.

A child, a young boy stepped forward. The child was shaking and he was crying. “I threw the brick. I needed you to stop. No one would stop to help me. My little bother rolled off the sidewalk and fell out of his wheel chair. He is hurt and I can’t lift him up. I need some help. Will you help me?”

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat; he bent over, picked up the child, helped him back in the wheel chair, and wiped off his cuts and scrapes. As he watched the older boy push his brother down the sidewalk, the man slouched back towards his car. He looked at the dent – and made a promised to himself that he would leave that dent in the car as long as he owned it. The dent would remind him to slow down and not be consumed by all the demands of his life, to be on the lookout– and to listen - to listen to the voice of God. The man thought, sometimes God whispers to our souls, whispers to our hearts. But He sometimes needs to use a brick to get our attention.

This week “My brick” hit me in the form of my kids. They were discussing something that had happened that day at school. Middle school kid stuff that I remember was so very hard to process at that age. At that exact moment “my brick” struck me. . . My kids were struggling with this and I had to help them makes some sort of sense of it.

I quickly pulled something from my mental file cabinet that I remembered from the best-selling book “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” by Richard Carlson. I asked the kids if this situation would be just as important a week from now, a month from now, or a year from now. As they were both chewing on what it was I just said . . . I caught a glimpse of myself in the rearview mirror and something told me that I hadn’t just said what I said just for my kids’ benefit. I took those words to heart myself and realized that I had gotten caught up in the worry of things that were either out of my control, or may possibly never happen. Not so surprisingly I noticed the pit in my stomach was gone and the weight was lifted off my shoulders a short time later.

Pay attention, listen, and watch out for flying bricks.

Jenny
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today. ~ E. Joseph Cossman