Poor Pitiful Dottie!

November 19, 2012

Holy Smokes (as my Aunt Lorna would say!), Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  Where in the world has the time gone this year?  I can remember putting away the holiday decorations last January and making the usual notes to self for 2012.  Now, here I am thinking back and hoping that I made good use of the year, accomplishing what I wanted (and needed) to do.  I think I did a pretty good job.  There were two things on my list that were important to me (finding a new church home here and making the trip to Minnesota to rendezvous with my gal pals) that I didn't get to cross off my list.  They'll need to move to the forefront of my list for 2013!!!

Last week was one of those weeks that I struggled with the feeling that I'd been put on this earth to do laundry, load and unload this dishwasher, tend to the lawn and gardens all by myself ... in other words, if it was to be, it was up to me.  I wanted to go to my grandsons playoff baseball games and the hours in the day didn't seen to be enough to get everything done before I could make the drive.  Poor pitiful Dottie!  A flash of the Poor Pitiful Pearl doll of the 1950's flashed before my eyes.  I even was miserable about that because I wanted that doll and never got it!  Oh, then, I really started naming my woes...  Before long, I worked myself up into a dither.  Life sucked, it wasn't fair, and I was miserable.  I grumbled as I wielded my dust rag ... I complained as I shoved another load of wash into the washer.  Good grief, the washer was sounding like a threshing machine.  All I needed was for that to break down.  This old house I live in had two cracks in the walls ... more repairs.

Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I did a walk through of my gardens ... oh good grief, my rose bushes had some bugs, Sadie had found a new way out of the fence, leaves were piling up, the french doors in the cottage wouldn't lock, and Toby managed to christen a chair on the back patio that I needed to clean up sooner rather than later.  My sinuses were aching, my back in pain and I was having difficulty moving.  I hated growing old.  Mom was losing ground mentally and visiting her was getting harder for me.  The heater in Michael's Passat went on the kafritz so I was without my car when I wanted it.  Get the picture here?!  Poor pitiful Dottie!  If you've ever had days, weeks, months, or even years like that, you know what I'm talking about.  Life isn't to our liking!!

Psalm 18:32-34 the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 

It didn't take long for the Lord to work on my (ahem!) attitude ... I was sitting in the cottage praying and all of a sudden, there was the reminder that I realized that some friends and family were dealing with bad news -- cancer diagnoses, divorce, job losses, deaths, the loss of homes and on and on.  I began to feel pretty selfish...  Life was okay, it was my outlook needed tweaking!  I was thinking about moi.  I was thinking about how others had disappointed me, hurt me ... I was thinking about how others had time to play but I didn't.  My wants were dominating my thoughts and I was ungrateful for what I had to endure in this time called life.

1 Peter 5:6,7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

 

Thanksgiving is a time of adjusting our thoughts to being grateful ... a time of turning lemons into lemonade.  I needed to count my blessings not my have nots.  I needed to be grateful for those in my life not those who were not.  I needed to remember that God was in control and that I needed to trust Him and be thankful for His blessings showered on me.

Since God intends to make you like Jesus, he will take you through the same experiences Jesus went through.  That includes loneliness, temptation, stress, criticism, rejection, and many other problems.

~~Rick Warren

I went back outside with a renewed spirit ... I grabbed the bug spray for my roses (gotcha you miserable bugs!); I surveyed the hole where Sadie was escaping and closed the opening; I scrubbed down the chair leg then decided to do the whole chair; I sang a song while I folded clothes.  I even decided I would look on the Internet to see if I could find a Poor Pitiful Pearl doll.  I knew that many of the things I complained about were outside of my control and I said the Serenity Prayer.  I knew that I could do all things who Christ who strengthened me (Philippians 4:13) and I was responsible for my own outlook.  If I looked for the bad, I would find it; if I looked for the good, I would find that too.  That old statement, if it is to be it is up to me?  Well, it's true.  My attitude of gratitude was up to me.

When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself. ~Tecumseh

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let's remember that we do have choices.  We can be as miserable as we want to be!  Or, we can invite others to share our joy and stuff ourselves with turkey and dressing!

Miss Dottie

PS  Many of the things we should be thankful for get forgotten because we are so used to them, and it is only when we lose them that we remember how fortunate we were. Some time ago, I had my right foot rebuilt which made me realize how precious the ability to walk really is!  Don’t wait until something’s gone before you are grateful – your sight, your health, your family – take some time to appreciate these wonderful things.  Happy Thanksgiving Week y'all!!!