It has been four weeks since the ‘Great Flood’ in our home. In the beginning, I was calm and responded with love, kindness and dignity knowing that God has a plan and the plan is Good. I had an attitude of gratitude and excitement about the cleaning out and redoing our home. The chaos and the mess were tolerable knowing that in the end all would be better.
However, I forgot one important thing, in times of trouble it is imperative to take care of oneself first.
Even though there was a flood, life continues. Just as with any tragedy or unexpected change we face, life goes on. To add to our mess, we still had a house full of company, extra dogs, family commitments and appointments, all of which took time and energy away from dealing with the mess at hand. I’m sure this was the case with Noah.
Not only did he have to deal with the rain, he had to take care of his family and the hundreds of animals and all of their needs as well. He had to clean out stalls, feed animals, keep watch on the weather, all the while concerning himself with the needs of his family. There was no escape, nowhere to go where there wasn’t a reminder of his and his family’s predicament.
As the days go by and my house is in utter chaos, my spirits have waned. Tripping over boxes, stepping on bare carpet strips, getting dressed from the garage, and awaiting news from my insurance company, I have become irritable, frustrated and discontent. I began to relate to Bill Cosby’s rendition of Noah’s story and wondering where God went. I am doing work which I have no expertise: painting, scrapping ceilings, and laying tile; similar to Noah dealing with a pregnant elephant, according to Bill Cosby.
And where is God in all of this? That is the big question, I’m sure the one Noah was asking when he sent out the raven and the dove for a sign of dry ground or really a sign of hope that he and his family had not been forgotten.
In Genesis 8:24, it reads, “The waters maintained their crest over the earth for one hundred and fifty days, and then God remembered Noah and all the animals. . .”
God remembered Noah!
Does this mean that Noah slipped God’s mind, like an appointment slips my mind. Could it be that God might have other things going on, even when my and Noah’s world is crumbling? Or is it that my time schedule is not God’s time schedule? Could it be that one hundred and fifty days or four weeks, in my case, is an eternity for me and only a split second to God? Who really knows? Maybe what author Anne Lamott says is true, “Perhaps when a lot of seemingly meaningless things start to go wrong all at once, it is to protect something big and lovely that is trying to get itself born and that we need to get distracted so it can be born perfect.”
My family and I have been definitely distracted, just as Noah and his family was distracted. We are doing seemingly mindless activity awaiting the next indicated step. The question for me is how do I maintain spiritual connectedness and inner peace in the midst of added chaos in my life.
Upon reflection of the past month, I noticed that I stopped caring for myself physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually. I forwent my daily walks, meditations, and proper eating. I did not want to waste my time; I had so much other work to do. I also added more stress by not setting boundaries with friends and family. As a result, I allowed myself to pull out my pity pot. I began focusing on the negative aspects of my life instead of the many blessings. I began envying my friends and family who were having summer fun. I was resentful at my self-imposed monotony of everyday life. My mind was spiraling down creating a miserable reality.
Thank God, I finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired. I looked at what I was not doing that kept me centered and connected with God. I realized, I had quit maintaining my spiritual practices of prayer and meditation, my physical well-being of eating well and exercise, and my daily reading of positive and inspiring words. I forgot to be grateful for the small blessings in life (I could have a pregnant elephant in my living room). I quit taking care of myself and we all suffered.
Upon this realization, I began anew, my pity pot is back up in the attic and life is good.
Maintaining a healthy and balanced life requires caring for yourself first. Maybe if we all did this, we would live in a more peaceful world.
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