Bombs, Explosions, Mean People, and Eeyore

9:34 AMHeather

Have you ever had broken promises and other such problems with a company that required a call to customer service?  Only to have your call disconnected twice and then on the third call, you keep getting passed around?  And finally, on the third live person, after repeating your story AGAIN, you ask for a resolution?  And then the "customer service" person suddenly becomes hostile and rude and cuts you off and sorta yells at you?  Leaving you to wonder how customer service became customer attack?

Yeah.  Me neither.

But, theoretically, had this happen, it would have unraveled me.  Truly left me in tears of frustration, anger, and hurt.  Even though I don't even know this person.  Because for the love of all things just and right, you just DON'T treat people that way.  Especially when you have wronged that person.  What is wrong with people anyway?

Enter Eeyore.  I do a very good Eeyore impression, by the way.  As most of my close friends know.  Somehow, I can quickly go to a dark place of no more sunshine and nothing but rain and gloom and doom.  It's a gift.  In my defense, I think there may be some genetic tendencies here.  But, the blame is all mine to take.  Because walking around like Eeyore does nothing for a world dying for a few Tiggers to bounce around and lift us all up.  

So, I stewed and moved on.  And then my thoughts went back to the all bad in the world.  Bombers who kill and maim.  Media who gives such madmen the infamy and glory they hope for.  Any attention is better than none, right?  Unexplicable explosions that rip apart a small, close knit community.  INSANE people of Westboro Church whose ridiculous funeral protests are not unlike the Boston bombers--maiming and wounding others in the name of religionSide note--let me be clear.  I don't know what god they are serving, but it sure ain't my God.  Then, there's also random acts of nature like earthquakes that devastate a remote area in China.  And a vast assortment of crime and suffering and accidents and bad, bad things.

See?  Gloom and doom.  And my switch gets flipped quickly right back to Eeyore.  

But, I know enough to know that I can't dwell there.  When I see my children reflecting what they hear, I know I gotta do better.  I gotta figure this out.  HOW do I end this Eeyore mentality?  How to switch gears today?

Oh, WHATEVER.

No, seriously.  Whatever.  That's the answer.  WHATEVER.  

Not in an eye rolling sassy way.  But in a hope filled, optimistic way.  WHATEVER.

Finally, brothers whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
Philippians 4:8

Oh, yeah!  This Eeyore thing is rooted in my thought life.  I know this...I know the "whatever" approach to turning it around.  I just have to do it!  Do you need a little encouragement today to end Eeyore?  How about you join me in this exercise?

Whatever is true...
...God is still on His throne.  
...Christ died to give us hope.
...The grave is not the end.  Because of the hope of eternal life.
...In this world, we will have trials.  But, Christ came to overcome the world.

Whatever is noble...
...eyewitnesses ignoring police warning and helping the wounded.
...marathon finishers running to donate blood AFTER their 26.2, or running to carry the wounded to safety, or military in full combat gear and boots rushing toward the explosion to offer aid and assistance.
...first responders putting themselves in harm's way
...Texans responding in such force that donations are no longer needed.  But, cash and prayers are welcome.
...rival schools taking their weekend to spruce up an empty building to become the West High School and Middle School.

Whatever is right...
...responding with grace in the face of opposition.  
...remembering that it is to a man's credit to overlook an offense. Even from a rude customer service rep.
...reaching out in kindness and being the light in the dark places

Whatever is pure...
...self-sacrifice
...putting others first
...clothing yourself in love, kindness, and gentleness  
...serving others, even the least of these--actually, especially them

Whatever is lovely...
...a crowd of worshippers in an empty field, offering heartfelt praise, despite the loss and pain and suffering of their town from just days before
...ER doctors and nurses rushing in force to assist the hurting
...the nameless heroes who, as I saw on television, say, "I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I just did the right thing."
...the ministry of prayers offered regularly to hold up the hurting
...being the shoulder to cry with the hurting and enter their pain to make sure their walk is never alone

Whatever is praiseworthy...
...our Almighty God who has a plan for our good and whose love knows no end
...remembering who He is when we cannot see it from the circumstances
...pressing on to stand firm in our faith that He will see us through
...thanking Him for the blessings we have and asking for blinders to the offense so that we never even see it
...offering forgiveneness and rooting out bitterness
...anything we can do to help carry the load of others

I could go on and on.  I could literally sit all day on these WHATEVERS and ponder them endlessly.  But let me warn you.  It's a dangerous thing to do.  Because in the face of WHATEVERS, Eeyore has no room.  He's just gotta retreat to his cave.  So that we can rest in the love and care of our Heavenly Father.  And there, we will gradually see a ray of sunshine bursting through the clouds.  Eeyore no more.                              

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