Today we’re going to talk about carrying our worries around…does anyone know what being worried means?
As the tale goes, a young boy named Frederick grew up in the tiny village of a Greymouth, New Zealand. He lived in a tiny shack. He worried all the time. He worried about getting his chores done so that he could go outside and play, he worried about finding friends…he worried if he was even worrying enough. And as the tale goes he worried about it raining – because every time it rained it would find its way to his forehead …drip, drip, drip…he woke up and yelled UGGGG!! He hated this. Before the next rain, he would rearrange his room so it wouldn’t leak on him, but sure enough it would find it’s way to his head — drip, drip, drip. He awakened and blurted out UGGGGG!!….. This happened over and over again. – Some say it happened for 40 days straight….each time …awakening to the drip and saying UGGGGGG!
And this got to be his automatic response for everything. Frederick you need to get your chores done….UGGG!! Frederick you need to do your home work UGGG!! .Frederick get ready, we are going to town for groceries…UGGG!! Before long his family, friends and neighbors started calling him UGG, because under their breath they’d say “here comes Frederick, UGGGG!!”
As his natural response of UGG got to be a habit..so did too carrying his rain gear wherever he went.…his umbrella, a coat, a hat, and even his boots and just for good measure he carried some worries. He did this even when their were no signs of rain…not a cloud in the sky.
His cousin, Benjamin, grew up in a similar shack in Gladstone Australia. When it rained through his leaky shack, the rain found its way to his forehead, drip, drip, drip. Benjamin would wake up and say, “Yes!!!” He began building shoots that the drips would make their way to basins where they collected and he would bring the rain out during their drought. He’d share his basins with his neighbors who would say “Yes!!” Benjamin, get ready, we are going to town for groceries, “Yes,” Benjamin would say. Benjamin, it’s time for chores – “Yes!!” he would say.
Unlike Frederick, Benjamin carried only peace in his heart…absolutely no worries and said “YES” to life and all it offers.
The moral of the story – we had one event – the rain – and two completely different responses. We choose our feelings. We choose how we respond to life’s events – we choose our baggage and what we carry in it.
Let us lighten our load, our baggage and leave our worries behind and remember that it’s just as easy to say “Yes!” to life and its offerings as it is to say “UGG.”
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