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Day 49: Life is Not a Sitcom



May 3, 2020

 I’m not much for cooking. When asked about my dream home I used to say “any house without a kitchen is my dream”. But people have to eat to live, so a kitchen is a necessity. (That’s not to say I don’t enjoy eating, but that is a whole other struggle.)  Maybe what I need is an “Alice” or a “Hazel” to just live in my kitchen like they did on those old TV shows, constantly cooking and cleaning up. That’s a nice dream. Who doesn’t dream of living in a TV sitcom life where the situations are lightened by a background track of laughter and the problem of the day is always solved in 30 minutes? (and Alice is doing all the housework) That’s about as realistic as the set for the apartment on “I Love Lucy”. Real life is complicated and definitely not always funny. Finding joy is easier some days than others. Too much being at home together tends to “spark a little drama” in most families. When I find myself in the middle of an episode of “All My Children” and needing to change the channel, I’m thankful that God is there to help me. On my own I’m like a remote with no batteries (powerless). We all need some kind of strategy for resetting our minds and soothing our hearts. For me, a sincere prayer of “Help me, Lord!” can quiet my heart and calm my mind. Sometimes I have to remove myself from the situation by going in another room or at least closing my eyes. (taking a commercial break) The sooner I remember to do this, the better. Real life is not a situational comedy (Sitcom) but if we learn to control our reactions maybe it won’t become a series of “made for TV” drama reruns either. Same message as yesterday, I guess. Love and forgive one another. And remember to change the channel if you don’t like what’s on. Psalm 145:18 says: “He is near to those who call to him, who call to him with sincerity.” And in 2 Thessalonians 3:16, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” Smile and be joyful!

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