My previous post was about Jeff losing his job and how we are dealing with it. I think this post from http://www.helpothers.org/story.php?sid=12805 sums it up pretty well.
A Child's Response to Life's Unexpected Gusts
--posted by Ashly on May 18, 2009
Last spring I was walking in a park. A short distance ahead of me was a Mom and her three-year-old daughter. The little girl was holding onto a string that was attached to a helium balloon.
All of a sudden, a sharp gust of wind took the balloon from the little girl. I braced myself for some screaming and crying.
But, no! As the little girl turned to watch her balloon go skyward, she gleefully shouted out, "Wow!"
I didn’t realize it at that moment, but that little girl taught me something.
Later that day, I received a phone call from a person with news of an unexpected problem. I felt like responding with, "Oh no, what should we do?" But, remembering that little girl, I found myself saying, "Wow, that’s interesting! How can I help you?"
One thing’s for sure - life’s always going to keep us off balance with its unexpected problems. That’s a given. What’s not preordained is our response. We can choose to be frustrated or fascinated. No matter what the situation, a fascinated Wow! will always beat a frustrated Oh, no.
So the next time you experience one of life’s unexpected gusts, remember that little girl and make it a Wow! experience. The Wow! response always works.
Have FAITH like a child.
