Frogs do not lie dormant upside down.
As this week moves along I find myself to be spread incredibly thin. I am reminded at how I am gifted at this (doing multiple things at once…under pressure) but even given that I am pushing it. My words of “live each day…don’t just survive them” and things of that ilk haunt me. I am reminded though of something I’ve said on a more “macro” level and that is to simply stand. In fact, in Ephesians 6 is the “Full Armor of God” which states…
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
If you are really in a tough place it’s ok just to stand. I was floored when I read this a while back. The goal is not to conquer or rise above or anything else like that. I’ve said it before, sometimes it’s just ok to stand. Granted, I don’t know if busyness qualifies for “the devil’s schemes” but sometimes it is ok just to stand. Certainly that is my goal throughout this entire journey with Trey and his diagnosis. It is also the goal of mine for this week.
As I went to our pond to scoop out the frog with our giant dead thing scooper/net/Trey tempting device he rolled over and said, “the story of my demise has been greatly exaggerated” and swam into some mud.
Apparently, dormant frogs do lie upside down.
I always love to see and hear the words of Mark Twain! As my longtime friends and acquaintences and I have grown older, I have found that when I ask them “How are things going?” they often reply with “Well, they’re going” or some such. In other words, they are saying pretty much what you have wisely stated – they are simply holding their own. It is, indeed, enough to “STAND.”
Mark Twain’s words could come up and spit in my face and I would have no clue. My favorite (but never really stated) responses to “how are things going?” are either “as far as you can help me? Fine” or the more bitter “as far as you really care? Fine.” They are not always true but more often than not I believe the former to be true and the latter very possible.