Can You Touch Your Toes?

Flexibility

Extent to which a person can cope with change.

I am sitting outside a middle school waiting on the youngest. I’ve got a carline in front of me that extends further than what my eye can see and a marquee sign staring at my face. Every so often the school changes what they call their “character word” and gives all passersby a lesson on what we should expect in ourselves and other people, I suppose. All week long I’ve been staring at this word. Flexibility. And all week long I’ve been thinking unkind thoughts to myself.

Well, maybe not unkind thoughts, but definitely thoughts that make me go ewwww. Flexibility is good, I know, but it sure can hurt sometimes. In the physical sense, I’m not flexible at all. I don’t think I’ve ever been able to touch my toes without bending my knees. Ever. No matter the weight, no matter the age, that is just one thing I’ve never been able to do. I can’t even remember the last time I tried it. I must have given up on that a long time ago.

Flexibility of the mind, ahhhh… now that’s a whole other state of affairs, isn’t it? How flexible are we when it comes to things we don’t like? Do we easily shift to accommodate the needs of others, or do we stand unmoving no matter what? Are there times when flexibility is necessary and other times when making a stand is what's needed?

Oh, the thoughts I think while waiting in a carline. I forgot my nook at home or else I would be deep into George Orwell’s 1984 right now.  As it is, I’m watching other moms in minivans park illegally trying to cut into the carline and then get mad and rev up their four-cylinder motors when the parking police tell them to move. (Granted, I don’t know for sure that parking police exist, but someone ahead of me is playing the role well).

And to think all this is taking place right next to the flexibility sign.

I have a good friend that I use to teach with. She would always say she was fat and then go on to explain:  f = flexible;  a = adaptable;  t = teachable.  I think of her advice often. When you think about it, it’s a pretty positive way to approach life. It reminds us that we all have something to learn; we’re never quite as good as we like to convince ourselves that we are. I know that’s been my lesson the last year or so. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  I thought I had everything figured out. Thank goodness the Lord loved me enough to show me I didn’t have a clue. He teaches me every day on what it means to be flexible. Some days I like it, some days I don’t, and some days I completely miss the boat.

I may not ever be flexible enough to touch my toes, but I intend to be flexible enough to finish this race and finish it well. Even if the mom in the minivan behind me is honking at me to move up a whole five feet. These carlines can be pretty intense.

Maybe next month’s character word will be patience.