Tuesday, September 07, 2010

The Trouble Tree

Here's a nice little story that was passed to me.  I do not know who the original author is, but I like what it has to say. Enjoy it.
==================================================

I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse. After he finished a rough first day on the job, a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one ton truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches
with both hands.  When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.


Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

'Oh, that's my trouble tree,' he replied 'I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, those troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then in the morning I pick them up again.' 'Funny thing is,' he smiled,' when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before'.
==================================================

We should all have our own Trouble Tree. Sometimes, just laying our troubles down to tend to themselves for a while, or just putting some distance and breathing room between us and them, they'll seem lighter when we  go pick the up next time. Sometimes our perspective changes, sometimes -- after a good night's sleep -- we just start to realize that mountain wasn't as high as we thought it was.

However you practice it... every now and then... just hang your troubles up and forget them. Pick them back up in the morning.

Have an awesome day.

Kelvin

1 comment:

Tamara Smith said...

Excellent advice! In the past, I've had trouble doing this. I'm a natural worry-wart and feel like I need to stay on a problem until it's solved. I had a "what's the use?" attitude about getting my mind off of it. After all, it was just going to follow me no matter where I went. But eventually I discovered how distraction can actually help us to become better problem-solvers and that taking a break from dwelling on our problems is good for both mind and body. Problems don't get solved by making yourself sick with worry. They get solved by the clear thinking and fresh perspectives we gain from giving ourselves permission to take a break.