Do you remember this contraption? I know I had one and Grant had one until I outlawed Play-Doh in the house. (Play-Doh is a treat for Grandma's house or some other unsuspecting neighbor)! To use this toy, you take a ball of Play-Doh and mush it into a ball. Then, you stuff the Doh into a little chamber and apply pressure to the lever to squeeze the Doh through a patterned frame. I do admit that watching the various colors of Play-Doh ooze out of the machine in different shapes could be very entertaining. However, if you don't clean the toy out when you're done destroying a unsuspecting victim's carpet, you'll have a nasty mess on your hands. I do remember trying to pick and scrape dried Doh from the little cracks and crevices of this beast. Even letting it sit in water and trying to wash the Doh out didn't work too well!
What's my point? Well, as I travel through this nutty life, I continue to reflect and label each "season" with a title. I've had a season of change, a season of change, and, oh wait, a season of change. It never fails. When I begin to reflect back over the year (usually in January), I consistently feel like the last year has been typified by changes. Marriage, job, new baby, new job, new baby, death, new job, new house, adoption, new baby, sickness, drama... It all adds up to change over and over again. However, I'm determined that I'm not going to entitle this year another season of change. This year is going to be the season of Play-Doh!
Throughout my adult life, change has never been easy for me. I usually resist through a number of well-practiced tactics. This year, I'm simply going to view myself as a piece of Play-Doh. (In my vision, I'm a nice new cylinder of hot pink Doh that's just been plopped out of the can with that very odd new Play-Doh smell). I'm going to let God pick off chunks, mold them, smush them into the squeezy thing, apply pressure (ugh), and let me pour out from the other end into the creature that He'd have me be. That sure sounds easy. Believe me, I've been squeezed enough lately to know that it won't be easy.
Last year was probably one of the hardest years of my entire life. From being a single mom with three kids (one infant / diva, one special needs who is edging on preteen drama at all times / diva, and one old soul) to dealing with my Dad's health issues and having to fight for my marriage, I have definitely been squeezed. However, I refused to ooze out from under the pressure into a new creation. I fought and grew resentful, tired, and generally defeated. I'd become the dried Play-Doh that's nearly impossible to scrape out. However, thanks to some very patient friends who were willing to keep working to pry those loose pieces out, I finally began to see how bitter I'd become.
I say all of that to tell you that although there are times that I still grumble and stomp my feet about the possibility of having to face another day in the "Play-Doh vice," I will allow myself to be squeezed into whatever shape God has for me. So, instead of dwelling on 2010 and looking at the many trials and tribulations, I will look forward to 2011 as my own Season of Play-Doh!
