"Every party has a pooper, that why we invited you! Party pooper! Party pooper! Every party has a pooper, that's why we invited you, George Baaanks!" Bet you couldn't say that line, or more correctly, sing it without doing Franck Eggelhoffer's crazy accent! Another iconic character in a great movie, Father of the Bride 2. Poor George Banks, finally gets through his daughter's wedding and then finds out both his daughter and his wife are going to have babies! And of course the baby shower has to be over the top! Incredible decorations, food, and as Franck says, possibly even 'sterks'. George is so overwhelmed with everything, including a seeming mid-life crisis that he puts the kibosh on everything and is deemed a 'party pooper'.
It takes planning to have a successful party. Guest list, refreshments, decorations and amibiance. A lot of thought goes into having an event where all the attendees will enjoy themselves.
I put a lot of thought into my events. Birthday parties, Fourth of July celebrations, Christmas galas, pity parties. I am good at all those. Especially the pity parties. I can plan those with the expertise of a Martha Stewart. Right down to the last detail. The dress code is simple, sackcloth and ashes. The menu is relatively small; buckets of shame, bowls of regret, cups of anger. The guest list is easy; just me. I get good and comfortable and settle in for a fine time of dejection and distress. These parties are periodically on my to do list. I have become very efficient with all the details.
The only problem is that lately I have been having an uninvited guest showing up; a party pooper. He throws a real damper on all of my pathetic plans. Here I am ready for a day of tears and tissues, whining and wailing, crabbiness and crying and this one keeps showing up. And to make matters worse, he brings gifts! Like mercy and grace and compassion. Love and forgiveness and peace. How the heck can you have a most excellent pity party with those party favors floating around!
I just don't get it. I set aside this time to have totally to myself; me, myself and I. Then, like a fresh breeze blowing away the smells of a sewage plant the Holy Spirit just goes and shows up! Perfectly ruining my sour mood. Spoiling my bad attitude. Crushing any hopes of wallowing in the pit of despair. A party pooper demolishing a perfectly good pity party.
Sheesh, what's a girl to do?
Seriously though; I do tend to wallow. I do fret overmuch and worry like no one's business. And every time I get into that place, the Holy Spirit comes along and brings me hope. Hope that there is a bright future. Hope that prayers will be answered. He strengthens my faith by reminding me of promises that the Father has made to me. He refreshes my memory by bringing scriptures to mind, of how the Father never changes, and how His love for me endures through all things. He brings me peace in the midst of turmoil and quiets my inner chaos and anxiety. He brings me gifts that I don't deserve, just because He loves me. James 1:17 says, "Every good gift and every perfect (free, large and full) gift is from above, it comes down from the Father of all light, in Whom there can be no variation."
In fact He loves me too much to leave me to my pity parties. He loves me so much that He makes it difficult for me to stay in that place of despair. He makes it uncomfortable for me to try to put Him away in the closet and have my party without Him. He keeps showing up, keeps drying my tears and keeps assuaging my fears.
I think the next time I am planning a good old rip roaring pity party I will just dispense with all the formalities and start singing a song..."Every party has a pooper, that's why I'm inviting you. Every party has a pooper, dear Holy Spirit that's you!"
It takes planning to have a successful party. Guest list, refreshments, decorations and amibiance. A lot of thought goes into having an event where all the attendees will enjoy themselves.
I put a lot of thought into my events. Birthday parties, Fourth of July celebrations, Christmas galas, pity parties. I am good at all those. Especially the pity parties. I can plan those with the expertise of a Martha Stewart. Right down to the last detail. The dress code is simple, sackcloth and ashes. The menu is relatively small; buckets of shame, bowls of regret, cups of anger. The guest list is easy; just me. I get good and comfortable and settle in for a fine time of dejection and distress. These parties are periodically on my to do list. I have become very efficient with all the details.
The only problem is that lately I have been having an uninvited guest showing up; a party pooper. He throws a real damper on all of my pathetic plans. Here I am ready for a day of tears and tissues, whining and wailing, crabbiness and crying and this one keeps showing up. And to make matters worse, he brings gifts! Like mercy and grace and compassion. Love and forgiveness and peace. How the heck can you have a most excellent pity party with those party favors floating around!
I just don't get it. I set aside this time to have totally to myself; me, myself and I. Then, like a fresh breeze blowing away the smells of a sewage plant the Holy Spirit just goes and shows up! Perfectly ruining my sour mood. Spoiling my bad attitude. Crushing any hopes of wallowing in the pit of despair. A party pooper demolishing a perfectly good pity party.
Sheesh, what's a girl to do?
Seriously though; I do tend to wallow. I do fret overmuch and worry like no one's business. And every time I get into that place, the Holy Spirit comes along and brings me hope. Hope that there is a bright future. Hope that prayers will be answered. He strengthens my faith by reminding me of promises that the Father has made to me. He refreshes my memory by bringing scriptures to mind, of how the Father never changes, and how His love for me endures through all things. He brings me peace in the midst of turmoil and quiets my inner chaos and anxiety. He brings me gifts that I don't deserve, just because He loves me. James 1:17 says, "Every good gift and every perfect (free, large and full) gift is from above, it comes down from the Father of all light, in Whom there can be no variation."
In fact He loves me too much to leave me to my pity parties. He loves me so much that He makes it difficult for me to stay in that place of despair. He makes it uncomfortable for me to try to put Him away in the closet and have my party without Him. He keeps showing up, keeps drying my tears and keeps assuaging my fears.
I think the next time I am planning a good old rip roaring pity party I will just dispense with all the formalities and start singing a song..."Every party has a pooper, that's why I'm inviting you. Every party has a pooper, dear Holy Spirit that's you!"