One Glorious Ambition

Yes, one glorious ambition, but what is it?  That is what Dorothea Dix wondered for many years until she discovered her calling among "the least of these" as she called them. Dix was instrumental in raising public awareness about the poor treatment of the mentally handicapped in the U.S., and eventually Europe, in the 1800s.

In Jane Kirkpatrick's book One Glorious Ambition: The Compassionate Crusade of Dorothea Dix, we are immersed in the mind and heart of Dix, a woman who never felt like she accomplished enough. Kirkpatrick blends fact and fiction to tell us about a woman who was a successful teacher, actually running her own school, and published author by the age of 20. She went on to become the friend of politicians and presidents as she worked tirelessly to relieve the suffering of the mentally ill.

Dix's father was abusive, her mother probably suffered from some form of mental illness, and Dix tried her best as a child to nurture her two younger brothers. Her father's family was wealthy and well-regarded, but he was estranged from them so Dorothea's family lived in poverty. These early influences formed Dix into the woman she became. A woman searching for a loving family to accept her as she was. A woman who needed to succeed because she felt she failed to rescue her brothers from their difficult childhood. A woman who needed to keep moving, keep striving like a "spinning top" and never stop because she was afraid if she stopped and thought for too long, she might become mentally ill like her mother.

The book was painful to read at times. Dix's desire to acquire family leads her to behave awkwardly and strive too hard, which resulted in people pushing her away. When after a struggle of many years the mental health bill she wrote and tried to help pass into law failed, Dix felt like she failed. She took the loss personally, almost as a rejection of her.

Dix appears to be a woman who knew and loved God, but did she trust Him and rely on Him to accomplish His will in His way? I don't think so. Her drive, persistence, and stubbornness, which were instrumental in achieving the wonderful breakthroughs in the care of the mentally needy that occurred in her lifetime, were also her worst enemies. She was unable to compromise or see another's point of view. She felt her goals needed to be achieved her way, and her way only.

Looking at the book's cover, you might expect a light, enjoyable semi-biographical novel, but that is not the case. The book paints a true picture of a dedicated woman with great gifts and great flaws.

One Glorious Ambition: The Compassionate Crusade of Dorothea Dix by Jane Kirkpatrick
WaterBrook Press, 2013
Fiction/Historical, 382 pages

WaterBrook Press provided a free copy of this book for review. The opinions stated are my own. 

Uncovering Mold

This is our bathroom.  Notice the lack of bathtub and wall?  Insidious mold was growing behind the shower surround, you know that thing that goes around your bathtub?  

We executed a temporary repair job a few years ago for the same problem, but had obviously waited too long before implementing a permanent solution because the mold came back with a vengeance.  So here we go again, the bathroom is torn up and getting remodeled.


 



It seems like we treat  our problems like this.  If everything looks fine on the surface, we just ignore the niggling hints that there is something wrong underneath and keep singing in the shower.

Like I said, we knew the previous repair was only temporary, but we left it alone too long, the problem got bigger and bigger and we arrived at the point where we had to strip the wall back to the cinder blocks.

Ignoring a problem doesn't make it go away and implementing a temporary repair is just that, temporary.  Sometimes you have to do the hard work of digging below the surface to get to the root of a problem.

• Are your finances a mess?  You might need to examine your expenditures to uncover where all the money is going.  
• Do you have a troubled relationship?  Don't keep shifting the blame on the other person, examine your own heart, motives and actions. 
• Are you gaining weight, or having trouble eating healthfully?  Don't deceive yourself, assess what you're eating, how much you're eating and when you're eating.  You'll likely find some answers.

In order to transition to a life of wholeness, health and peace, we need to examine honestly the unhealthy areas in our lives and deal with them by initiating changes.  Even when they're messy.  Even when they're inconvenient.  Even when they're hard.  Even when it hurts.


And while it's great to research and talk to other people about the best way to handle the problem, remember in the end that their solution is probably not going to be your solution.  Everyone has diverse circumstances. 

As a Christian, my solution begins by going to God and asking for help because effecting radical change is difficult and sometimes impossible on my own.  And quite likely the way He leads me is going to be different than the way He leads someone else.  However it happens, the repair work may still be hard, and others might judge and criticize my methods and choices, but at least I know I'm doing it the way He wants me to.

So, where is your mold?  Are you willing to strip your life down to the cinder blocks to find the truth and make changes?

Do You Feel Like a Juggler?

Is it my imagination or is everyone juggling more and more all the time?

I don't know about anyone else, but either I am getting worse about managing my time or I am over committed.  I believe I have fewer obligations than a year or two ago, but frequently feel overwhelmed.  All those balls I'm juggling seem to be equally important and have to be kept in motion.

Another thing I've observed is that kids appear excessively busy too.  I don't ever remember feeling busy when I was a kid.  Maybe the mists of time are getting too thick and I'm not remembering accurately.

I know some teens who stay up until 1:00 a.m. finishing school assignments.  My last year of high school I worked 16-24 hours a week, but honestly don't remember ever needing to stay up late to do homework.

With all of the advanced technology available to us, shouldn't life be simpler?  Or maybe because some tasks have become easier (mainly due to the widespread availability and use of computers) we are all taking on other responsibilities and commitments.

Perhaps we're wasting more and more of our time on things like Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and other social networking options and we're not taking care of things like housecleaning  and yard work.  It doesn't take long for mail and laundry and dishes to pile up; a dirty oven to become a filthy one or a few weeds to become a healthy crop if we don't keep up with them.  When our chores reach that level, they begin to feel insurmountable.

These are just some of the thoughts buzzing through my head as I see my teen son struggling to keep up with the obligations of his life as my husband and I struggle to keep up with our work.

How about you, do you feel like a juggler.  Do you  think we are busier than ever?



Today's letter is J on the Blogging A to Z Challenge


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