Tossed around..

Do you ever feel like this scarecrow?

Our poor guy has had a rough autumn. It’s bad enough that he’s anorexic, has a small hole in his head, and doesn’t own a hat. But, you factor in the wind gusts like we had last night, and it’s more than he can handle.

Here’s his real problem. He lost his anchor. Up until last week we had him firmly planted in a big bale of hay. But seeing as how our hay had grown both mold and grass (ironically we can grow grass in hay bales but not in our yard), we had to toss it. So, the scarecrow has since been forced to precariously lean against the house. And, it’s just not working out for him.

Sometimes I find myself in this same predicament.  I forget to ground myself.  I don’t take the time to do those things that keep me from being blown and tossed around my the winds that come my way during the day.  So, this happens… one of the girls has a meltdown, and I lose my hat.  I’m interrupted by some sibling rivalry or an urgent need for anything from a drink to a diaper change while I’m trying to catch up on the simple tasks that keep our life in order, and I lose both my temper and my sense or orientation. I get a phone call or an email reminding me of an assignment or informing me of a need, and I’m knocked to the ground by the weight of the responsibility.  I may try to lean on others and hope that their preparedness and stability will be enough to keep me standing.  But, sometimes even that doesn’t work. And, I end up feeling a lot like the scarecrow in this picture.  Frazzled and defeated.  Face down on a doormat hoping and waiting for someone to pick me back up.

The scarecrow and I need the same thing:  to be grounded or rooted in something bigger than ourselves.  Something strong and stable.

I know this, and yet I have to be reminded of it all. of. the. time.