had to share...

I read this story from an email that I received from MOPS and I just couldn't bring myself to delete it until I shared it.  It's a funny story and I think the message is so important!


Septic Moments

By Carla Foote

On a recent family vacation, we eagerly looked forward to hosting an open house with old friends. But shortly before our friends started arriving for our party, we discovered that the septic tank was literally spilling over onto the path around the house with every flush and every ounce of water down the drain. In the midst of calling septic tank specialists to come pump out the septic tank, we greeted our guests with a friendly hello and an invitation to drive to the park at the end of the lake if they needed to use the bathroom. Not the best way to start a party, but the other option was to send everyone home.

"While I did experience
some flashes of anger,
I decided to flex with the situation"

So many parts of life include dealing with unplanned challenges. We can choose whether we get angry, let it ruin our day or flex with the situation. While I did experience some flashes of anger, I decided to flex with the situation, make jokes about the septic party and concentrate on relationships with friends, some of whom we hadn’t seen for many years.

The septic issue went from bad to worse, as the pumper truck arrived about the same time we put the food out for the buffet dinner. Not only were our bathrooms unavailable all afternoon, we enjoyed our dinner with the sound and smell of pumping.

I certainly would have preferred a different set of memories with my friends, but the relationships were definitely more important than the ambiance of the party. I’m glad I didn’t let the consequences ruin my attitude or the chance for meaningful connection.

Dear God, help me to focus on what really matters, and not let unexpected circumstances ruin my attitude.