There's a hole in my bucket

...Dear Liza. Dear Liza.

I can clearly remember watching a kids' TV show when I was young and, ridiculous as this sounds, I remember feeling hopeless. For the bucket. For Liza. For Henry. For everyone involved.

Not hopeless to the point of tears, but I just never found that song entertaining. I've never been one to laugh at situations where I felt that no matter what I did, I would lose.

Here's how the story in the song goes...

There's a hole in the bucket. To fix the hole in the bucket, you need straw. But the straw is too long and you need to cut it. But the axe isn't sharp enough, so you need a stone. To whet the stone, you need water.

And you guessed it. To get water you need the bucket.

[By the way, how exactly is straw going to fix a hole in the bucket?]

I hate the times when I treat situations in my life like the bucket.

When the most important thing is the hole. When everything revolves around the hole.

When I, just like Henry, want to complain. And I, just like Henry, think everything would be fine if I could just plug the hole in my bucket.

Have you ever said something like this: "I just wish ONE thing would go right. If just ONE thing would change, then the REST of my life would be great."

If the straw was the right length, then.....

If the axe was sharp, then....

I sing this song all the time, I just make up new verses.

If I was married, then....

If my grades would stay solid, then.....

If I could be in love, then.....

If I had more money, more time, more friends, more freedom, then......

If there wasn't a hole in my bucket in the FIRST place......

There has to be a better way. I get frustrated, and a bit hopeless, when all I can think about is that ONE THING that would change everything. Because it isn't true.

Just like Eve in the garden, I'm easily convinced that the ONE THING I'm missing out on is the ONE THING that would make my life so.much.better.

I've decided to take my focus off the holes in my bucket. And instead, I've asked God how to use the bucket for His glory. Maybe the hole is the best thing that has happened to me. Sure makes it easier to pour out on others.

I wish Henry finished the song by singing about how he was going to be okay, how it's no big deal to have a hole in the bucket, and how he's really just plain grateful to have a bucket in the first place.

And I wish someone would explain to me how straw can patch a hole.