4-5-20 Potatoes and Eggs
Quote: “The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s about what you’re made of, not the circumstances.”
I saw this quote the other day. Maybe it resonated with me because Easter Sunday is next week. Or maybe it was because of the hard times our world is in right now. Either way, what an amazing demonstration to remind us about the strength each of us has deep down in us. If the same boiling water can make a potato soft so I can have mashed potatoes but can also make an egg harden so I can have an egg salad sandwich, I better be aware of my emotions and how I’m handling my tough circumstances.
About 8 years ago, I was grappling with a serious case of post-partum depression. I started a new medication and received a referral for counseling. I remember I was so apprehensive to go to that first therapy session! After many sessions, my therapist gently explained to me, “Danielle, you are like an onion. There are layers and layers that make up who you are. How many layers there are depends on your age and your many life experiences, the good and the bad. The core of who you are is in the middle of the onion. The people who are in your life that are closest to you are your support team. We are going to peel back layers of this onion until we get rid of all these toxic relationships and circumstances you’ve allowed to come into your life. But just like when you peel an onion, the tears are going to come. It’s going to be hard but you are going to become a fighter!” I’ve never forgotten this advice and I am still working on this even 8 years later!
The ups and downs that we go through in life should make us stronger, not weaker. Tough times sometimes reveal our ugly weaknesses. For me, one of my biggest weaknesses is isolation. I’m not sure what screams isolation more than the word QUARANTINE! Lol When I feel alone, rejected, misunderstood, unpopular – the enemy loves it. He has seen me struggle with it my whole life. Isolation removes me from the places and people that support me most when I feel alone. Right now, I can’t physically get to a lot of people that are Team Danielle. So I really only have 2 choices of how I’m going to respond to this bleak isolation – lean closer to God and Christian friends or let Satan wreak havoc on my mind. It’s totally my choice.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” I can almost picture that, can’t you? Him rubbing his hands together and saying stupid things like, “Ha, churches are closed! Yes! Christians are isolated from their Christian peeps for months! Fear is settling in! People are hating God and blaming him for the virus! This is GREAT!”
Oh, quite the opposite sneaky one. God didn’t cause the virus, just like he didn’t cause the murderer to commit the crime. We live in a world of good and evil. That’s part of the package called “Life”. People are leaning on God more than ever. Churches are doing online services. Unknown heroes are popping up all over the world. People are tapping into talents and hobbies they haven’t used in years. Lots of amazing things are happening in families that are “stuck” at home together. People in careers like healthcare and food distribution are finally getting accolades for work they’ve never been applauded for before!
Yes our circumstances are unsettling and confusing and grim right now. But those same circumstances can cause us to become stronger as humans.
It’s time to take those lemons and make the biggest lemonade stand ever.
