Five Minute Story — Enable
Every Friday I join a community of bloggers for Five Minute Friday. One word prompt, five minutes. And I literally write it in 5 minutes. The prompt this week is … Enable.
Since my father became ill and died, I feel like I’ve been in a constant Lifetime movie. The one where there is a battle over the estate and the family is torn apart over lies and viciousness. The one side is left in pain while the other side has the power and is not using it because they have the power. I know for myself the trust was broken and there was a lot of heartache. Lots of enabling in a bad way by my family members. And thankfully by God’s grace and and an amazing therapist, I seeing my way out.
One day I sat and was just horrified at the enabling that happened on the side of my family members and decided that God did not create me to sit around and mope and be sad. There is a time for mourning and there is a time for sorrow, but now I need joy. I needed a break and I felt like I needed some sanity. I prayed that God would enable me to be kind and be faithful in the midst of pain. I needed an outlet. I noticed on my walk there were a series of puddles that were on the sidewalk that were so hard to get across, thus I would avoid it and go to drying land. Of course, right!? No wet socks or sneakers. I thought to myself, this needed to change. How therapeutic it would be to just have us both put our boots and just splash in the puddle? Ok, therapeutic for me and just playful for him. I announced our plans with my kid and he of course jumped at the idea. We put on our boots and then head out the door. Side by side, hand in hand we were ready. We were so ready for these puddles. We walked about 50ft and encountered our first conquest, a puddle. We looked at each other and said “one two three” and felt our bodies leap high in the air and then there was a splash! Water on our pants and water on our boots. We laughed. And my son said, again.. again. And we did over and over and over again. My son even decided he wanted to do a sink and float activity with the leaves and the sticks. It was such fun and a release from what was going on.
While jumping in puddles may not be your thing, I want to encourage you that it may seem dark around you, and you may feel alone and discouraged, but remember that God is light. And that light is inside of you. He enables us with his goodness. Thus in the face of adversity, think joy. Do things that will be light for others and bring joy to yourself. Just like jumping in puddles was light for my son. This act was just the thing this momma needed to get through the day. Oh and there have been many puddles since….❤️.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14–16
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1.
