More about Boxes
I've been thinking about worry and boxes again. Over the years, I have developed the ability to place myself in a box. I don't mean that I box everything IN or everything OUT. I mean that as situations come up, if it is something that I have control over I place it inside the box. However, if a situation comes up that I no control over I place it outside the box.
So I've worked hard at resolving things in the box. For example I've always liked to be active. However with all of my hip surgeries and hip replacements at the age of 33 I was told that I should not run. So I took up bike riding, going to the gym, and swimming as a way to be physically fit and also to reduce stress. Stress relieve and physical fitness were something I had control over.
However as my Spinal Cerebellar Degeneration progressed and I had to be in a wheelchair, I could no longer go to the gym, go swimming, and/or ride a bike. For a long time I would wash up those dishes that would not go into the dish washer and would also fold clothes. This is/was a way of keeping my trunk and arms strong. I also have modified my eating habits so that I eat a rather strict, boring diet. However, if you only sit and are not physically active you will gain weight. These again are in the box. However, my weight keeps increasing even with the strict diet. So I do what I can but I don't worry about it. I've place the weight gain outside the box.
I don't know if this is making any sense. I guess what I am trying to say is that if I can influence a situation I do with God's help. However, if it is a situation I can't influence I turn it over to God and don't worry about it. Well I try not to worry about it.
So I've worked hard at resolving things in the box. For example I've always liked to be active. However with all of my hip surgeries and hip replacements at the age of 33 I was told that I should not run. So I took up bike riding, going to the gym, and swimming as a way to be physically fit and also to reduce stress. Stress relieve and physical fitness were something I had control over.
However as my Spinal Cerebellar Degeneration progressed and I had to be in a wheelchair, I could no longer go to the gym, go swimming, and/or ride a bike. For a long time I would wash up those dishes that would not go into the dish washer and would also fold clothes. This is/was a way of keeping my trunk and arms strong. I also have modified my eating habits so that I eat a rather strict, boring diet. However, if you only sit and are not physically active you will gain weight. These again are in the box. However, my weight keeps increasing even with the strict diet. So I do what I can but I don't worry about it. I've place the weight gain outside the box.
I don't know if this is making any sense. I guess what I am trying to say is that if I can influence a situation I do with God's help. However, if it is a situation I can't influence I turn it over to God and don't worry about it. Well I try not to worry about it.
posted by UP at 7:07 AM
2 Comments:
You know I think the stuff in the box is what God gives us as our personal responsibility...the stuff outside is His. We get into trouble when we try to bring His stuff into our box or when we try to create boxes to organize all the stuff out there so it doesn't seem like so much and threaten to overhwelm us.
I often think of the Serenity Prayer they use at AA:
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
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