A person of good character has integrity. It is how we behave when no one is looking.
"You can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights." - Mayo Angelou
My friend, Katrina, sent this image to me a couple of nights ago. I am so glad she shared it. As I thought about it, the common denominator is that each of these inconveniences test our character. How we reframe the irritation says a great deal about who we are down to our core being. Is it the good, the bad, or the ugly?
Really, these three things are mostly inconveniences.
If the luggage contains a wedding dress or something else not easily replaced, then it is a bigger deal. In truth, lost luggage usually means rethinking what is really necessary. The Love of My Life would love me to travel lighter. It is not in my nature. I always want to be prepared for the "just in case" moments.
To be honest, petrichor is one of my favorite scents. What is petrichor? It is that amazing smell when the rain first kisses the dry earth. The scent it releases is magical. Now, if it pours on your one day at Disney's Animal Kingdom... that is a little more irritating. But, the reality is that the most important part is who you are with when the monsoon hits. (Yes, I might be speaking from experience.)
Oh, those tangled Christmas lights. Now, that is a character test! Some find it easier to just throw them away. My Randy handles the lights, and I must say, he is pretty patient with them. He did say the next time a string goes out, we will just buy a new tree. He doesn't love managing Christmas lights, but I am grateful he loves me.
"Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride." -Ecclesiastes 7:8
What a perfect passage! Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride. The rain will stop. The luggage usually shows up. The Christmas lights war can be won with a patient hand or the string can be replaced.
Today, I am grateful for character tests.
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