Getting Bumped...

I feel like I have written a post like this before.  Probably have.  But it is worth repeating since it is a concept I am still struggling with.

Years ago when I worked at a camp (where Jason and I met), one of the full-time staff members was talking to the summer staff.  He talked about a pail of liquid.  That pail can be as pretty as can be on the outside.  It can look to the world like it contains nothing but the freshest and purest of waters.  People can be convinced of the quality of the liquid it contains.  This is even more true if the pail boasts of its own worth -- "I am the purest of all pures, I am true refreshment, nothing impure will ever be found."  It can be quite a believable story.

But what happens when that pail gets bumped?  The liquid spills out and then, for the world to see, are the true contents of the pail.

"So," he asked us, "what comes out when you get bumped?  What happens when hard times bump you?  Does thankfulness, forgiveness, graciousness, and love flow out? Or does bitterness, envy, frustration, anger, and other impure stuff come spilling out?

Ouch. 

It is easy for me to look pure from the outside.  I can even start to convince myself of my own purity. But when I am bumped -- when the hard stuff of life gets in the way -- that is when the true test of what is truly inside of me happens.  And I don't always like what I see.

Now I will say that I have grown a LOT.  I will say that I really don't even try to pretend that everything in my "pail" is the purest of pure.  I am a realist and I am willing to admit fault, shortcomings, and failures.  But still, when I actually have to SEE them versus just knowing they are there, I don't like it.

So yesterday I got bumped -- in two ways.  And I was unhappy with what I saw come out of me. 

The first "bump" really wasn't a big deal.  It really has nothing to do with me.  And yet it bothers me so much.  I have a person in my life who struggles with lying.  The thing is, the lying is usually over the most ridiculous of things.  Things that NO ONE would care about even if the person told the truth.  The kind of lying like a person saying, "Oh, I had spaghetti for lunch" when they really had a sandwich. Who cares what you had, just tell the truth. 

I do not know why I let this person get to me so much.  I don't know why I let it frustrate me to the point where I am ANGRY...where I feel the need to tell Jason all about it and show him the "proof" of the current lie.  Why can't I just let it go and trust that God will deal with it.  Why do I let it fester inside, affecting the rest of my day?  Why can't I pray that God will work in this person's heart and show them what they are doing.  This person may not even know how much they do it! I got bumped, and I didn't like what I saw come out.

The second thing was a little bit bigger of a deal. Something of mine got ruined and it going to cost a lot of money to replace.  It really wasn't anyone's fault but I was sure to point out to Jason that if he hadn't been using it in the first place, it wouldn't have happened. I got bitter, snappy, frustrated, and wanted to point out all the ways that Jason was at fault.

Um, hello!  It is just STUFF!  Who cares?  It doesn't hold any eternal value. In the great scheme of things it doesn't even hold that much monetary value.  And yet I let it get to me and as much as I tried, I couldn't shake the anger for the rest of the night.

Yucky stuff coming out of the pail. 

So how do I get purity to flow from the frustrations in life?  How do I approach other people with GRACE?  How do I let temporal things fall WAY down my list of priorities?  I wish I had the answers.  It's a process, and I can see the progress I have made over the years (as in I  can actually see the impurities coming out instead of standing there, gross sewage coming out of my pail still trying to convince myself and those around me that it is the freshest of water.)  But still, I have so far to go. 

Create in me clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.

************************

Okay, thanks for letting me share.  On to things of a much lighter note...

** Thanks to those of you who have sent me their CT "applications." I am excited to see who wants to be a part of the team and even more excited to get to know some of you better.  It will be a tough decision, I am sure, but it still exciting to see who wants to work my stuff!

** On to this weeks DIGI DARE.  Our challenge this week was to scrap our favorite photo of 2007, even if we have already scrapped it.  WOW!  What a challenge!  I took over TEN THOUSAND photos last year (don't you just love digital! LOL!)  There are so many that I love...so many that speak to me...so many that capture my kids just as they are.  But in the end, it wasn't too tough of a decision.  There is one photo that just captures my heart.  I've scrapped it once, as part of my SOY entry, but that was a hybrid page so I never shared it here.  I scrapped it again (in a different way) for the dare.

I used Michelle Coleman's new AMOUR kit.

**  And now, I bid farewell for the weekend.  We are off until four o'clock this afternoon and we have some errands to run and some other stuff to do as a family. Hopefully the weekend will be smooth (those 12-14 hours working days can get long!)  I hope all of you have a fabulous weekend!

Comments

[Jacki]

LOVE what you wrote. Hear ya and can identify 100%. Especially these last few days (for bunch of reasons!). It's what keeps us humble and totally reliant. Gives us something to be working towards, growing closer, being stretched on the journey. Thanks for sharing it. Was a good shot in the arm especially as we start staff retreat on Monday. Big cyber hug to you! Have a lovely weekend!!

[Hollie]

Good stuff, Janet. A great way to think about it--getting "bumped." Reminds me to continue my focus for the year--"transformation." That's what I chose--or felt compelled to choose. LOL. Anyhow--love that LO and of course the photo as well:) Have a great weekend!!!

[Leslie (lhaslem)]

sorry to hear you're having a rough day...but you amaze me with your ways of thinking...what a great correlation with the pail (gets ya thinking for sure)...

have a wonderful weekend and we'll "see" you on Monday.

And BTW - your layout is gorgeous.

[Brooke - in Oregon]

Love the layout, it does reach out and 'touch' you.

WHEW I soooo hear what you are saying and Oh my GOSH the stuff that comes out, is well....NOT what I am proud of. It is REALLY hard to look at yourself and really SEE the sewage. I needed this reminder, 'Create in me clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me' thank you!

[Lynette]

Everything you typed was all to familiar, way to familiar! I don't like to read it, because it convicts me of things I need to change, but that is what life is about... growing & changing! Thanks for the reminder and I like the picture of the pail, great description! Hopefully your day is better today!

[Lisa]

great correlation! janet, you do have the answer. you cannot change the water that comes out on your own, but with God's help you can overcome anything. you are playing it right by praying for your friend and a renewed heart within yourself. this post was very helpful to me, i am reminded that i am not the only one who feels this way.
love your layout, off to check the new digidare!

[Stephanie]

Hey Janet - that was a great analogy. I think we all go through this. Thank goodness God is so faithful to love us in our ugliness and clean our hearts when we ask. Hugs!

[Karen Bowers]

wonderful writing, janet, about getting bumped. definitely food for thought. thank you for your transparency with us.

[KellieP]

Wow...I so needed this today. I've been bumped a lot here lately & I'm not real proud of how I've been acting! Thanks for the reality check! (and maybe a lot of it stems from me putting off spending time with God here lately...yes, I must get closer to Him if I am going to have good things spill from my bucket!)

Seriously...have you considered writing devotionals? (I'm sitting here all teary...I so needed this! And, sometimes I can be that person that says stupid lies...without even meaning to. Grr...i so needed this. Thanks for challenging me.)

OK...changing gears. 10,000 pictures?!?! Holy Toledo, Batman! That's a TON of pics! Your layout is AMAZING!

[MandaKay]

Ugh - my pail is totally gross inside (unfortunately from the outside it is just as gross looking). I realize it and hopefully it is my first step to bettering it, but man oh man am I lost. Thanks for the breath of encouragement - you totally helped people out by your writing and feelings!

[JanMary, N Ireland]

Thanks for sharing that great illustration, I have not heard it before. Praying there aren't too many bumps this weekend.

Wonderful LO too - perfect for that gorgeous photo.

[Shawna Taylor]

What a great analogy Janet! I think my pail could use a little overhauling on the inside & outside!

Love the layout - that is an amazing photo of Alaina! Have a great weekend :)

[Andrea C.]

Okay, wow! I love the whole bucket/pail theory and it's so true and I don't even wanna know what spills out of my bucket some days! Most days I deal with things really well but others, watch out!

I have one of those lying people in my life, someone REALLY close and it makes me crazy sometimes. They will lie over crazy little things and I just don't get it but I'm resolving to let some of that go and let God take care of it ;)

LOVE your layout and that photo is just gorgeous! I can tell why it's your fav!!

((HUGS)) girl! Have a great weekend!

[Sarah]

Janet, that is so unbelievable. This post couldn't have come at a better time. I'm trying to be the better individual in the situations I've been dealing with and this was something I've been struggling with. I have such horrible animosity toward my Brother-In-Law and while we're trying to scrape up change to live off of, his girlfriend is getting 6400 dollars back with her taxes...I can't tell you how nice it would be to have that money myself and get a better sense of stability. I just get this bitter feeling of jealousy and rage. It turns me into someone I hate being. It consumes me and my thoughts... I am so thankful that you have shared this story, I will try to use this towards the way I live my life.

[Vanessa]

Just wanted to say how much I enjoy reading your blog and I'm so excited you are having a CT call, I applied. Beautiful LO BTW!

[sarah vrolyk]

It's so very difficult (most times!) when we get "bumped" and we are forced to see what truly lies inside. I know that as I have been "bumped" God has used those moments to draw me closer to Him ... helping me to once again, turn it all over to Him and strive to life a life that is glorifying to Him. It's so embarrassing to have all that spill out!

Thank you for sharing all this on your blog. Posts like these are one of the reasons I started blogging again. I wanted to be able to share my ups and downs with even more people. While our passion for creating is exciting, even MORE exciting is our passion for the Lord ... and seeking to share that with others.

Have a wonderful week, Janet! :)

[Melissa]

Ooooh, I've had those "getting bumped" moments, and it's never fun when you don't handle the bumps as well as you should! But the great thing about your post is that you realized it and can look back on it and learn from it.

And I agree with Kellie - I think you would be great at devotionals!

[shabbyjuls]

I have been alurker here for awhile..when I read this I just wanted to comment..I had recently gotten a Pottery Barn slipcover for my couch and a few days ago someone ruined it..it made me mad and I was trying to figure out what to do.I was just being so grumpy about it, but I saw the person the other day and I think it was the Lord telling me the samw thing..let it go. I just had a new compassion..hard to explain, but I feel okay about it even when I look at it ..like oh well. And the lying thing I know too....but God has given me soo much grace that I am able to extend it to others knowing that they struggle the same way we all do and we are all just trying to get by being the best we can be.....it is hard I know. Thanks so sharing your heart!! Sorry this is soo long.

[Josj]

favorited this one, man