The tale of the faithful crockpot

 

I can't complain, it's part of being a homeowner.  This month the blower motor went out on the air handler and between having it diagnosed, getting the part ordered and getting it installed we were without heat/AC for two weeks.  Mere days after that repair, just yesterday morning hours before our houseguests arrived, our garbage disposal ruptured and leaked water everywhere.  But not to be outdone, yesterday evening our hot water heater gave up the ghost, leaving our guests the joy of taking cold showers as they were the ones to discover we had no hot water.  

If only more appliances were as dependable as our old Crockpot.   The Crockpot pictured above has served us faithfully for well over 20 years.  We picked it up at the end of the last century in Springfield, MO on our way back to Jacksonville, IL after attending the Tulsa Soul Winning Workshop.  To this day we use it regularly, and if you know us well you might even recognize it.  

This old Crockpot has never let me down.  At the church in Jacksonville we had monthly potlucks, and I cooked dozens of cornedbeefs in those days.  I'd run to the fellowship-hall on Saturday night, set the Crockpot on low, and by time church was over Sunday, voila!  Here in Kingsport as well, the old Crockpot provided for many a potluck in our early days here.  And who knows how many meals we've cooked at home, or how many gallons of soupbeans we've cooked or meals shared over the years.

This old Crockpot has helped us bless others with the gift of hospitality numerous times, to many times to remember, and it has been a faithful standby for many homemade meals.  I only wish the folks who made our "slow cooker" could have made the rest of our appliances...

I know our recent inconveniences with failed appliances are nothing compared to the travails suffered from recent flooding in Southeast KY, or the pounding the folks took in FL from their recent hurricane.  And again, I'm really not complaining about these repairs, it's to be expected because nothing lasts forever.  I'm grateful for a roof over our heads, a warm bed to sleep in, plenty to eat, and that we have the resources to pay for our repairs when these things happen, God is good.

When what we want, seems to elude us

I'm not sure why life refuses to promise us security or why it withholds any assurances of success.  The only guarantees in life seem to be, if you lick a frozen flagpole your tongue will stick, if you put your hand on a hot stove-top you'll get burned, and if all of your friends jump off a cliff, well you get the idea.

Relationships fall apart, factories close down, unanticipated sickness can strike -- all without notice.  Which seems to leave us with two choices.  Fight the stream or get swept away.

The reality is, hard work, doing the right thing, or simply having good intentions are insufficient for reaching all of your goals -- unscathed.  Having an inner ability to persist, to never give up, to have the grit to face defeat undeterred by our setbacks, this is rare and it still doesn't insure you will win.

Life is a struggle.  Charisma, self-confidence, or a great skill-set won't carry the day.

You have to ask yourself which is worse, not achieving your dreams or not even trying.  Most people cave under the pressure of everyday life, they won't even try in the face of the odds that are stacked against them.  Do you pity them, respect them, or want to be like them?

Maintaining hope requires an active but mature imagination, developing a strong will, and an ability to accept that failures and obstacles always pave the path leading to the finish line.  The voices of your childhood telling you you could be anything or do anything you want must be balanced against the cold truth that nothing comes easy in this life.

Beware of simple answers that promise to reduce the risks, beware of employing underhanded or manipulative tactics, beware of slogans and platitudes that diminish the facts.  Sure, you could just adjust your expectations, all it takes is a motivational poster on the wall...

Can you be happy irregardless of the circumstances or does your satisfaction depend on externals that will mainly remain outside of your control?  Become the person that doesn't resort to justifying any means to reach their end, and who can experience peace in every situation, do this and you will have accomplished more than reaching any temporary goal/dream that has persistently evaded you.

Don't give up the fight.  But don't give into it either.  In the end, when what you seek eludes you, the important perspective centers on "who" you are, not on "what" you achieved/acquired.  Attitude and character trump everything else.