Invisible Barrier

Monday evening I was sitting on my patio, enjoying the beautiful South Florida weather, when I looked up I saw our little dog Chewie. He had climbed up on the dining room table. Margot had several of her precious tea cups and tea pots sitting out. I was concerned that Chewie would knock one off and break it. I dashed into the house when….. smack… I ran full tilt into the window. I had missed the opening where the sliding glass door was open. Instead I crashed nose first into the window. My nose began to bleed right away. I am pretty sure there were also birds chirping as the flew circles around my head.

Its a couple of days later and the dizziness is beginning to clear. I don’t want to miss any learning opportunities, so I have been reflecting on this moment. I think it serves as a living illustration of how to get past barriers that arise in our lives. So here are some lessons.

First, getting over the embarrassment is sometimes the hardest part. Learning to not take myself so serious has helped when I have moments of  klutziness. I posted a pic on Facebook and several people laughed with me and shared their own times of crashing face first into a window or screen. My nose will heal and so will my pride. When you hit a barrier, don’t take it too seriously.

There are some things that hold you back that will remain invisible until the point of contact. In the moment I could not see what was holding me back. Now we have left the imprint of my face on the glass for a reminder and a chuckle. You will not be able to foresee every obstacle. Don’t delay too much, at the same time moving too quickly can cause some pain. Balance is the key here. Move forward but keep your eyes open.

Third, getting past the barrier will take a little adjustment. The door way was just about three feet to the right. I missed it by that much. Sometimes we over react when we hit a barrier. We get hurt and turn 180 degrees. The truth is most of the time we just need to make a little adjustment to pass the barrier.

Finally you will heal. You don’t need to kick the dog. I have been dazed for a couple of days, but I am healing. It’s really funny! But my hurt is not a reason to kick the dog. We pushed the chairs in so he can’t climb up again. Many times when we get hurt we lash out at some creature. This doesn’t help. Once your eyes clear, and the bleeding stops you can focus on the answer to the problem. Remember people (and dogs) are not the problem. When you have been hurt you might find this hard to believe, but if you focus on a solution rather than the person (or dog) God will give you a way to correct the issue.

More lessons may come after the swelling goes down. For now I look forward to using the open door rather than crashing my way through life!

ML