Play It Safe

It’s easy for a marriage to become routine and distant. We say the same things to each other over and over. "How was your day?" "What's new?" Our questions and our answers are routine. We avoid all topics except those having to do with the children or our work or necessary chores. Or we talk about the news and the weather. We stick to safe topics.

These topics are fine and some of them are necessary in order for a marriage and a family to function. The problem is they don’t help us get close to one another. Nor do they give us much personal information. Some times entire families operate this way. It’s as though each person is in a self contained bubble. We bump up against each other’s bubble with surface talk, without connecting or comprehending or caring and without listening or loving. We see things from our own perspective and may long to connect but don’t know how.

Couples and families can change the way they communicate. One person can change things. One person can vary the routine by making one "different" statement each day. The best way to do this is to start small and positive. Take a risk and tell your loved one some thing positive you’ve never shared before; tell what you appreciate about him/her. This will feel scary and may get no reaction or may not get the reaction you hope for. Over time it can make a difference. We can burst each others bubbles in a gentle and good way. We can stop playing it safe. I’ll say more about this next week.

Let your conversation be always full of grace. Colossians 4:6

Blessings, Dottie

Pet Tales

When writing my last post about various critters, I ran across this account on mice, gerbils and a turtle. It makes me laugh every time I read it. This happened a long time ago.

April 16  Purchased two white mice & cage for son, 9.   

Purchased gerbil cage for son, age 7. Purchased turtle and turtle bowl for daughter, age 5. One mouse loose in store.

April 20 Turtle needs bigger bowl and won't eat boxed food. Purchased bowl. Every child in the neighborhood is catching flies and bugs for the turtle.

May 3 Nine year old son builds fort for mice from blocks. They love it. He leaves them in it and both are loose in basement.

May 4 One mouse can go through bars of cage. Nine year old getting better at catching them. Put cage on TV tray.

May 5-11 Hunt for mice every morning.

May 11 Mother's Day! Bought screen for mouse cage; fastened it on the outside of the cage, half way up.

May 12 Hunt for mice. Put screen all the way up.

May 13 Hunt for mice. Put screen on top also.
                                                                                                     
May 14 Mouse out through seam at top. Hunt for mouse.

May 15 Fix screen on inside of cage.

May 16 Turtle bowl cracked. Purchased new one.

May 17 Water dispenser for mice broken. Purchased new one.

May 21 Seven year old’s baby gerbils old enough to join us. Bought food, litter, and water bottle.

May 22 Seeds all over floor of seven year old’s bedroom.

May 23 Cleaned up seeds; switched to sunflower seeds.

May 26 Litter all over floor. They scratch. Put cardboard around edges of cage.

May 27 Gerbil water bottle leaks.

May 28 Bought new plug for bottle.       

May 29 Turtle bowl leaks.

June 1 No turtle bowls available.

June 2 No turtle bowls available.

June 3 7 A.M. One gerbil missing, one mouse missing. Everyone searched. Found mouse before school.   Couldn't find gerbil. Fixed gerbil cage with screen half way up. No turtle bowls available. Bought plastic sweater box and more gravel for the turtle. 7 P.M. Kids found gerbil in basement.

June 4 Midnight. Mouse out.

June 5 Sewed screen to cage with nylon fishing line!

From my current perspective what’s the lesson? The minor trials raising children and pets are cause for laughter and delight today, remembering.

May the Lord richly bless both you and your children. Psalm 115:14 NLT

Blessings, Dottie