Dishwater Redemption

I'm a little hesitant to share this poem. I happen to really like it and if you don't, I probably don't want you to tell me. :)

I first wrote this many years ago when our children were still young.Then, a few years ago, I worked on is some more and hence, the 2007 copyright date.

It is a true experience and has been a life-long reminder to me, although I have a long ways to go! It's also quite remarkable that it even happened as I married an awesome man who DOES DISHES and he does so much more often than I. However, on this particular night, I was up late doing the dishes.

I do ask that you not copy or use this poem, especially without my express permission. And I hope you like it...

Dishwater Redemption

The house is quiet.
My husband and children are asleep.
The silence of the room is interrupted
Only by the sounds I make while washing the dishes.

As I pick up each dish and rinse away our dinner,
I am reminded of the meal we enjoyed together.
The chatter of the children as they spoke of their day
Lingers in my mind and I feel a sweet contentment.

I’m nearly done when I notice my well-used cookie sheet,
Standing at the back of the dish drainer;
Even though I have washed it thoroughly,
It really doesn’t look very clean.

The evidence of so many batches of cookies baked
Over and over again until it looks tarnished and brown.
When it was new, it sparkled and shined.
Now it is discolored and scratched.

And for some reason, tonight, this bothers me.
I take the cookie sheet from its resting place and
Plunge it back into the warm, soapy water.
But I am unable to rid it of the baked-on grime.

I reach in the cupboard for an S.O.S. scouring pad
And go after the suspect brown specks with renewed vigor.
I pay special attention to the inside corners of the cookie sheet.
This proves to be especially satisfying and I continue until it shines.

It has been reborn and I can see my reflection in it.
And suddenly, I realize… I am like the cookie sheet.
I’m not dirty by any means, but perhaps,
Not quite clean enough either; I have lost some of my sparkle.

Leaning against the sink I know what I must do.
I will take upon me the S.O.S. scouring pad of repentance
And work and pray hard to be shiny and clean,
Until the Savior’s image shows in my countenance.

I plan to keep my cookie sheet as bright as it looks today
And with a few repairs here and there, and a heart full of love,
I can do the same for myself, that I might be more useful
To those I share this earthly space with.

Who knew? Sometimes, there’s not much difference between
A neglected ol’ cookie sheet and a life too busy to notice
Some of the sparkle and shine has faded.
Yes, S.O.S. pads are a beautiful thing.
                                             ~ © Stephanie Abney 2007

Live in Daily Thanksgiving

Thessalonians 5: 18 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (Holy Bible, KJV)

Alma 34:38 “… and take upon you the name of Christ; that you humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you.” (Book of Mormon)

 

From two scriptural sources we can read that the Lord is counting on us to give thanks daily, for every single thing, good or bad. Hmmm. How are you doing with that one? Been complaining lately? Life is often hard, there’s no escaping that fact. It’s usually inconvenient; but when all is said and done, it’s still amazingly wonderful.

I’ve lived a long time (and I hope I’ll be of sound mind and health to live a lot longer – I’m pretty fond of waking up every day). Two very important things I have learned along the way is that first, we’re not in charge. And second, we need to GET OUT OF THE WAY!!! The Lord sees things from the beginning to the end. He knows what will bring us growth, joy, benefit … even if we don’t see it at the time. He can do a lot more with our lives than we can if we were left in charge. We just need to be grateful for the lessons that come and the results they bring. If it’s still hard, then He isn’t done yet and we need to be patient and long-suffering.

It’s easy to be grateful for the good things; the beauty of the earth, wonderful people and opportunities in our lives, food on the table, a roof over our heads and gas in the car, just to name a few blessings. But it’s dang hard to be grateful for health challenges, terminal illnesses, difficult people, lack of anything, accidents, lost homes or jobs; in fact, loss of any kind. It’s difficult to be grateful when our feelings have been hurt or worse. In either instance, there are lessons to be learned. We learn from both abundance and lack, from success and failure and learning to take things as they come, with a grateful heart makes the tough stuff a little easier to deal with.

I need to work on this. I suspect most people do. I only bring it up because these are the verses and thoughts that came to my mind when I wondered what I should write about for Day 2 of blogging every day in November. I didn’t choose a “gratitude” blog for the month – although it’s a great idea – I just was hoping to post something of worth (for myself and hopefully for anyone reading this) every day. So, there you have it. A grateful heart … NO matter what. What do you think?

Day 6 ~ Let's Write an "I Am" Poem

How to write an "I Am" poem ~

This "formula" form poem was one of my favorites to use as a teacher because it ended up giving me some interesting insight about my students. Some were very serious and tender, others were silly. For example ~ one boy wrote for the "I Am" line (which gets repeated over and over): "I am an honest young man who loves the Lord." (Yep, right there in school, then he went on to fill in the other lines with the type of person he tried to be ... because he was a young man who loved the Lord). However, another student wrote "I am a happy boy who loves pizza." The rest of the poem was hysterical. You can go anywhere, depending on WHO you say you ARE. Here's the form - YOU fill in the blanks BUT you must follow the instructions for each line!!

IF this feels TOO personal - make up a character or if you are writing a book, use one of your characters for this poem ~ the easiest way is to copy and paste the format onto a document page and then read the instructions and replace them with YOUR words:

Below is the line-by-line set-up for this version of the "I Am..." poem:

I Am…

1st Stanza

I am (two special characteristics you have)
I wonder (something you are actually curious about)
I hear (an imaginary sound)
I see (an imaginary sight)
I want (an actual desire)
I am (the first line of the poem is repeated)

Stanza 2

I pretend (something you really pretend to do)
I feel (a feeling about something imaginary)
I touch (something you imagine you touch)
I worry (a worry that is real to you)
I cry (something that makes you very sad)
I am (the first line of the poem is repeated)

Stanza 3

I understand (something you know is true)
I say (something you believe in)
I dream (a dream you actually have)
I try (something you make an effort to do)
I hope (something you really hope for)
I am (the first line of the poem is repeated)

OK, I'm such a paradox personality anyway - so I used two random traits but they both play powerful parts in my daily life so, at the risk of being more vulnerable than I care to be, here's my poem:

I Am…

I am compassionate and distracted.
I wonder if people realize the sincerity of my motives.
I hear opportunities passing.
I see endless possibilities
I want to fulfill my life’s mission. 
I am compassionate and distracted.

I pretend I’m not noticing everything all at once.
I feel like I am always “on the verge” of … something.
I touch the part of me that’s missing.
I worry I might leave this life with some of my “music left inside me.”
I cry when I think about those who may have misunderstood me.
I am compassionate and distracted.

I understand the Lord is aware of my intentions and talents.
I say my writings will make a difference.
I dream of helping others with my words.
I try to give people the benefit of the doubt.
I hope they will do the same for me.
I am compassionate and distracted.

      © Stephanie Abney 2011