May 22, 2011

Rubberbanding

As we drove home from my cousin's graduation this evening (a 2-hour drive), Dana and I chatted about our current life circumstances. (Note: We let our children watch DVDs on longer trips. While I can't say this has done a lot for their entertaining-themselves-while-driving skills, I can say having them occupied does wonders for our marriage. My mom always said she and Dad had their best conversations over dishes; we have ours while driving.) So anyway, I asked Dana how he's feeling about things right now. He said he feels like he's just waiting. I inquired further and he likened it to a rubberband. We feel the stretch and we know something will change. We might be stretched tighter, or the tension might slack a bit. Not sure, so we wait and see. I liked the analogy so allow me to take it even further...(I know I'm kind of a weirdo, but this is really how my mind works :o)

Our lives are kind of like rubberbands. During those easy (or perhaps lazy) times, we might say we're like the flaccid rubberband just laying in the drawer - enjoying a respite from work, but really not much use to anyone. Or a rubberband might be used to hold a few things together - feeling useful, stretched a little, but really just glad to be of some use. After all, isn't this what rubberbands were made for? Then there are times when the rubberband is really stretched. Life is hard. There's a lot to hold together. There's a lot depending on this rubberband and it doing the job/s it's being used for. It's doable, but definitely difficult - this is probably where we find ourselves right now. And then there's the rubberband that is being stretched way beyond itself. It barely even looks like the same rubberband. Sometimes it's being stretched beyond what it even should be. Sometimes, it just a good thing this rubberband is around or how would any kind of order be maintained? You are not even sure if it's going to hold fast or just snap...

Isn't it funny how we'd probably all prefer to be like the flaccid or maybe even the little bit stretched rubber band most of the time? When we find ourselves stretched a little beyond what is comfortable, do we complain, give up, try fixing things, or yearn for the times when we can just lay flaccid in the drawer? Yet, I think we learn the most when we're REALLY stretched, even uncomfortably so. It's only when the rubberband is stretched beyond what it can handle that it truly undergoes any change - in a rubberband's case usually not for the better - but in our own lives, by the grace of God, as His children we can trust in the fact that it's ALWAYS for the better.

Please excuse the cheesiness as I ask, "How's your rubberband?"

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