Living a Reba Life

Recently I have found myself addicted to a sit-com that portrays a disfunctional family where the mom (played by Reba) continues to deal with the repercussions of her ex-husbands choices. She befriends (though not by her own choice) the "other" woman and deals with the high school pregnancy of her elder daughter and sweetheart. Through it all Reba maintains a strong position within the family and hides from all who see her the pain and rejection she must have felt.

Some may ask why I watch such silly drivel. I mean after all what woman would have the woman who wrecked her marriage in her home let alone be her best friend. Why would she continue to even interact with the man who wrecked havoc on the family that she had such pride in? But as I watch it I am always drawn to some of the parallels of my own life.

The "Reba Life" is one where she looks beyond what happened to her and tried to find a way to keep the spirit of the family alive. She worked hard at putting aside her own pain and focusing on managing the hopes and dreams of her children. Sometimes she even allowed herself the luxury of losing her temper and voicing the pain that was a part of her every day existence. Her life was changing fast. Who she was and who she wanted to be were not the same. She could not just sit and struggle with the result - she had to get beyond it.

In the real world we don't have the fairy tale situation that this "Reba Life" portrays. I would love at time to scream at the pain that has been such a part of my life these past seven years. Sometimes I want to shake my fist at my family and say "Don't you see me", "Can't you feel my pain and walk through this with me?" But, I don't. I hide behind a plastic smile and manage to get on with things. Yet, inside I hurt and yearn for the days that have escaped me. Choices were made and decisions made that cannot be undone. I am trying to learn how to get beyond it.

Reba seems to be true to herself. She does not allow people to walk all over her. She speaks her mind and deals with the reality of her world. That is what I want for myself. I want to be able to be of a single mind. I want to have my life be congruent with what I know that God has for me. I believe that the only way that I can have a life that is fulfilled and a life of true significance is to get beyond the sin and heartache of the past and live as the beloved of Christ that I am. I need to focus on being a child of God. Live in obedience to the known will of God and to seek to be more and more in love with the lover of my soul.

Life after sinful choices is not a comedy. It is an effort to move through every day. It is an effort to see the good in what has occured. It is an effort to let go of what was. But, it is possible to find life again. Only through the forgiveness that God provided through the death of His dear son can I walk worthy of this love. How thankful I am that my life has meaning because meaning comes from God. All that I am and all that I ever hope to be - I surrender to You, Father. May the very breath that I breathe be wholly unto you.

Peace in the Valley

Recently, my husband David and I traveled up through the northern hills of Pennsylvania. While wending our way up through many of the beautiful state parks that grace our state I was reminded again and again about the variety of God's creation. There are hills and valleys, trees and barren fields, lakes, rivers and streams abound. How beautiful.

Like a reflection of life, creation cries out loudly of how marvelous our God is. Variety and choice. Each life is filled with hills and valleys. The hills can represent conquests or trials. The valley low points or peace. It is all in how we view it. Around each bend is an unknown.

We go through life always looking for what is around the corner or over the next hill. We seldom rest in the valley that God places us in. The valley is a place of peace. The hills that surround the valley protect the wanderer from the winds that blow. In the valley peace can be found. But it requires that we stop and look and think about what it is that God is trying to teach us. We worry way more about getting out of the valley more than concentrating on spending time with our Creator.

It seems that the valley experience of life is something we should be grateful for rather than always seeking to move on to higher ground. God in His own time will move us to the next place we are to dwell as we travel the road to Him.