It's A God Thing

I only sleep a couple hours a night, so I spend a tremendous amount of time channel surfing and thinking. I get my greatest ideas at 2:07 a. m.. The other night or morning I was surfing and came across a Joan of Arcadia marathon on the Gospel Music Channel. I immediately turned on Tivo because when one is surfing one is always looking for a better wave.

If you are not familiar with Joan of Arcadia you should be. It was a wonderfully insightful T.V. program. It only lasted a couple of seasons, most likely because it was a very insightful show, and it required thinking and reflection. I have found that people don't like to think and reflect, especially, when it comes to T. V. watching. They aren't called couch potatoes for nothing. I digress (a lot), Joan of Arcadia is about a teenager that God talks to and shows himself to her in various personalities. Joan of Arcadia was one of those shows that made you wonder.

I was up very early again (on a Saturday), so I decided to watch Joan of Arcadia, and I am so glad I did. First, I needed something to write about, and I have been racking my brain for some time trying to get an idea. Second, I needed some reflection time. Finally, it was time for a God Thing. I have a tendency to stray from the really important things in life, and every once in a while I need a wake up call. Joan of Arcadia reminded me of some of the truly important things:

Don't ask God why? He doesn't like to answer why questions. Usually when one asks why one doesn't like the answer one was given. Kids don't like to be asked why for two reasons: 1. Most of the time they don't know why, and 2. When a child is asked why it makes them think that their first answer was wrong. Instead of asking God why, I think we need to ask, "What do you need me to do for you?" Instead of asking, "Why do I have to do this?", ask, "What can I do to make this work?"

Have pride in what you do. I don't have a problem with this, as a matter a fact, I think I have too much pride. My reflection on this would be I walk that fine line between pride and conceit. I need to be more humble.

Be a catalyst. I looked up catalyst on dictionary.com and it stated that a catalyst causes an important event. A catalyst is the cause of a chemical reaction. Synonyms for catalyst are: incitation, motivation, stimulant, incentive, and spur. I want to be a catalyst, especially, in the field of education. I want to motivate, incite, and spur. I want to be a catalyst for change. As I was looking up catalyst, negative catalyst popped up. A negative catalyst is an inhibitor of a chemical reaction. A catalyst creates the fire and a negative catalyst stomps it out.

All actions have consequences. I have learned this the hard way. I should think before I speak or write and I don't, and I have lost many a friend because of it. I really need to be careful about that because I don't have that many friends to lose. I am down to about five and that includes my "sistahs", so maybe I should slow up. One of my five friends, always speaks before she thinks. I call her my "open mouth, put in foot" friend, and everything that comes out of her mouth is pure honesty. I appreciate her unadulterated truth even when it stings. I want to think before I act, but sometimes I just don't have the time to tip-toe around people's feelings. I need to be careful about stepping on people's feelings. And I usually am, I step carefully right in the middle of every one.*

Take on others' burdens. Janet and her family did this for me three years ago. I am unable to live alone. I need a caretaker. My mother did it forever. She was a saint and still is. My younger sister, Caren, took on that burden until her husband was transferred out of state. Before and after Caren, I have had some wonderful caretakers and I have had some really bad ones. Janet and her family rescued me after a really bad one who robbed me blind when she moved out. What I am going to say is going to offend many, so turn away, but having me around is like having a pet. You have to make sure that the pet is fed, watered, pottied, and cleaned. You can't go away for the weekend without making sure the pets are taken care of. Janet has always contended that God told her to take me on. One day someone at work was asking Janet why she had me come live with her and her family.(First insight, don't ask why.) Janet replied that the person wouldn't understand. The co-worker continued to probe Janet for her reasoning behind taking on such a burden. Janet just smiled and replied, "It's a God Thing!"

I pray someday that God will talk to me the way he talks to Janet and Joan of Arcadia. In one of the episodes of Joan of Arcadia Joan is mad at God. She yells at him, "You didn't tell me I was suppose to do that." And God replies, "No, Joan, you weren't listening." I need to listen to God more closely because I don't think he is going to call me on my mobile.

I have only watched half of the Joan of Arcadia episodes that I Tivoed. I had to stop and do some work, and instead I stopped and wrote this blog. When I watch the rest of the episodes there just might have to be It's A God Thing, Part 2!

Paco's Perspective

God sent me to you. Didn't you know that, or were you not listening again?

Flip Side

God sent you guys to me, or I would have been roadkill.

* Epossumundas by Colleen Sally