Every time there is a really hard rain around here or when it gets cold in the fall, it seems that several spiders get into my house. It's always a surprise to find one in a corner near a door.
Yesterday it rained hard for a long time. I didn't even think about the crawly creatures but was confronted by two of them this morning, one in the kitchen - a BIG one, and the other, a small one, in the entry way. Now, I'm not just going to walk away and not know where they've gone! I'm not of a mind to capture them and release them outdoors (no one has ever accused me of being St. Francis' sister!). I'll either step on them (if I'm wearing boots up to my knees) or spray bug spray on them. I rationalize: I don't bother them outside, they shouldn't bother me inside!
Anyway I sprayed them, took paper towels and disposed of them. End of story.
But it got me to wondering if there might be surprise "dark" thoughts crawling around in my consciousness, ready to sting me into a dark mood, or having less than positive thoughts. What exactly are these deficiencies in myself that I should try to overcome, lest they sap me of energy?
'Spider' #1: For one thing, I seem to let piles of unfinished work talk me into feeling that I'll never be able to finish them. I love needlework projects, sewing clothes or decorating items, and different crafts. I have a small room dedicated to this. I probably have more than I can accomplish in one lifetime. I have to steel myself into never (well, hardly ever) buying another project. I must be working on finishing what I have before I get anything new. But sometime just thinking about them is overwhelming. Remedy? Realize that everything I do always takes more time to finish than I imagine it will take. I need to just enjoy doing what I can and not think of what is undone. (Spider #1, squashed!)
'Spider' #2: My downstairs usually looks fairly decent. I wouldn't be embarrassed if someone popped in unexpectedly. But I seem to think that the whole house, inside and outside could be perfect, like my mom and grandma were able to do. Remedy to combat this negative thinking? That level of cleaning and weeding is impossible for one person, I should realize. After all, they had dad and grandpa to help and I don't. I do some church and community volunteer work that they never did, also. That should give me comfort if things get a little dusty! (Spider #2, squashed and disposed of!)
'Spider' #3: Books. There are so many of them I'd love to read and then there are those I think I should read. Over the years, I've accumulated so many, it might take a whole another lifetime to read them all! I wish I could sit for a long time and read for hours like some of my friends can do. What to think? Here again, if I read for a short time nearly every day, I'll read a few books in a year. What's so bad about that? Am I a scholar or a reviewer? No! Plus: don't buy any new books! (Spider #3, sprayed, squashed and disposed of!)
I wouldn't have to try hard to think of other 'spiders' crawling around in my life: I think I should be giving more cash and volunteer time to more charities. . . A friend of mine I haven't seen for a long time told me, "My weight hasn't varied 5 or 6 pounds since you last saw me (very large spider!). . . you get the picture!
I feel better already, I feel like it is healthier to not even try to be a perfectionist. Work hard, try for excellence, but not perfection! What about you?
Lord, you gave us some beautiful creatures and some that are less beautiful, some we don't appreciate at all. I know you understand why some of the creepy ones bother us. Sorry!
No comments:
Post a Comment