Thursday, March 5, 2015

Cartwheels of Joy


So yesterday, everything that can go wrong went wrong. I did a truckload of laundry the night before and in the morning I found out that my washing machine broke. Everything was wet and soggy already so I have to hand-washed them, while it’s freezing cold, in my bathroom sink. And of course my bathroom sink somehow managed to get clogged afterwards. My dad called early in the morning while I was about to work out so my morning routine was frazzled (and on some days you cling to routine like a life line). 

To top it all off, when I finally sat down I found out that my amazing sweater (that I got two days ago, reduced from $50 to $12, hug me like a boyfriend) have ripped along the sleeves. 

And I spill tea all over me.

Huzzah. The story of my life.


Though the cherry trees don't blossom and the strawberries don't ripen, Though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted, Though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty,  I'm singing joyful praise to God. I'm turning cartwheels of joy to my Saviour God. Counting on God's Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I'm king of the mountain! (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

It might not be cheery trees or unripe strawberry or lost sheep, but I think what Habakkuk is trying to say is when EVERYTHING GOES WRONG. This is my version of the verse:

Though the oven smelled funny and the washing machine throws tantrums,
Though the hot water bottle explodes (it happens, I’m dead serious) or you forgot to buy carrots for dinner and its 4 degrees outside and your dish really, REALLY need carrot,
Though my favourite sweatshirt ripped and half of the socks are mismatched
Though I burnt the rice and forgot to plug in the water heater before I shower

I am singing joyful praise to the Lord!

Trust me, I didn’t feel like cartwheels of joy. At all. Or singing…and I LOVE singing. You know what I do feel like?

Curling up and forget everything ever happened. Oh the joy of denial!

The thing is, what we do sometimes doesn’t necessary need to correlates with how we feels. Late last year, I was having a very low point, emotionally and spiritually. I was tired and whiny. So I decide to run. I started running 2k a day (and now I am on 5k mark) not because I wanna get skinny; but because I need the freakin’ ENDORPHINS! If you sow energy you will reap energy.


Cartwheels of joy is NOT the result of how you feel; it is RE-FRAMING your feeling with your action. You sing worship songs not because you are happy but because it lift up your spirit.

So when it comes to the choice between flying of the handles or stop, take a deep breath and do "cartwheels of joy" when EVERYTHING seems wrong... try to make good decision ;) Heck I don't get it right sometimes but we try, and fail, and try and fail better.

auds xx


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