Forgetful goldfish and the kitchen sink

Okay, so today I am going to talk about goldfish and kitchen sinks. How will I tie the two together you might ask?

I have no idea.

When it comes to motherhood, faith, and life in general, it amazes me how easily I fluctuate between dual personalities within myself.

On one side, I am a person of faith who believes that God is not only the goal of my journey but also my companion. I believe I am the right mother for my children because they were entrusted to me. I believe that small measurable goals on a daily basis; things like drinking enough water, sleeping well, getting exercise, taking five minutes to talk to God, will bring about needed changes in my life.

And then, at the same time, sometimes even in the same breath, I am the other me. The failure. Anyone, even Roseanne Barr (or her character from the television show) could parent my kids better than me. I can’t seem to accomplish the simplest tasks. I’m more like a homeless person walking through the alleys of my faith, looking through garbage cans for blessings.

Or like the person James writes about in the New Testament:

“Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and forgets what he looks like.” James 1:24

Aren’t we all like forgetful goldfish?

The more I talk to people, the more I realize I am not alone. Most of us are like forgetful goldfish. We are busy, busy, busy; we swim incessantly, but we go in circles, and eventually, we start drinking our own shit.

We’d do better living in houses filled with mirrors so that every time we turn around, we are reminded of who we are compared to God.

Slowing down in life requires a great effort

If our lives were like a kitchen sink (what can I say, I’m a mom. I spend a lot of time at the kitchen sink, and no this metaphor has nothing to do with goldfish), then what would the sink look like? Is it clogged up with good, but filling things like family, work, home, exercise, and friends? Or is it clogged up with sticky murk like reality TV and Facebook, retail therapy, overeating or having one glass too many of Chardonnay?

Being smarter goldfish

Now imagine the faucet in the sink as God. He offers cool, refreshing, life-giving water and most days we don’t even think to turn the faucet on. And if we do, our sinks just fill to the brim. The water can’t get through to our plumbing, to our hearts and heads and consciousness, because of all that junk we let fill us up.

I need help becoming a smarter goldfish. Yes, this is my life, it will be busy and there are lots of things that can fill me up. But if I can focus more on life-giving Drano in my sink; my reading something from the Bible, talking to God, serving those around me, I bet that cool water will flow.

And then maybe I’ll be able to enjoy the swim of life a bit more.

Your turn: What’s something clogging up your sink recently? For me, it is television, so Sergei and I and the kids aren’t watching it during the week for Lent. How bout you?