8 Big Opinions on Little Things That No One Asked

Dear friends – I come to you today with a little something different than the last few weeks.  Let’s call these “8 opinions” a window into the meditations of my mind… a touch of thought, a touch of fun and lots of love.  Enjoy!

1: Dishes should only be done once a day.  Pile those dirty dishes all day and then at the end of the day go through the dish washing cycle while you ponder the day (and maybe clean off its mental dirt!)  Fill the sink with super hot, soapy water, fully submerge each one, scrub, then let them drip dry.  No judgement if sometimes it takes a while to get them back in the cabinet.  (If you follow me on Instagram, you know that putting things away is a problem in my life – see this post regarding laundry.)

2: I adore these gray jellypop shoes.  They slip on, are crazy comfortable, light as a feather, and inexpensive.  I bought them 100% on a whim.  I might buy 42 other colors.  https://amzn.to/2Jxuwyb

3: I loathe the shopping carts at Lowe’s.  Why do they have this extra cart part right under the handle?!  I hit my shins on it every. Single. Time. I shop there and have need for a cart.  No Bueno!

4: There is nothing better than opening a box of sharpened pencils.  It’s like the world is offering you a gift to pick up and get writing.  No need to stop at the pencil sharpener. 

5: Coffee is best when you drink it from a mug.  To be able to hold it in both hands and feel the steam as you take a drink – that is a beautiful, slow moment worth savoring.  (PS – This opinion does not hinder my love of coffee from a paper cup!)

6: Paper books feel so much better in my hands than an electronic book.  Turning the actual page.  The smell of a new book.  Plus, they are lendable, and write-inside-able.  (I will concede that it can be nice to have a book on your device when traveling just to save your shoulder from a heavy bag.  However, I took 3 Harry Potter books to California in my twenties and didn’t regret for one second switching them out of my rolling suitcase when I finished each one (I might feel differently if they had all been in a carry-on)!

7: I am not a fan of lip gloss.  I prefer a matte lipstick.  On Saturday and Sunday I tried to be fancy and wore a lip gloss.  As I walked across the church parking lot in the wind and felt the grit on my lips, I was reminded of my preference.  If you have lip gloss tips I’ll take them.  How do you make your lips not feel sticky?  How do you walk outside and not feel like you have a dirt smile?  (I’ll welcome tips in PM or comment below!)

8: I’m about to rock some worlds here… but, I prefer sandals that are not flip flops!  I really like sandals that don’t go between my toes! It was not an easy choice to go toe separator free.  I had a weird toe hurting thing a couple of summers ago and self-diagnosed that flip flops were to blame.  So, sandals with nothing between the toes it is! (Also, feel free to leave links in the comments to cute sandals that follow this criteria.)

So, why am I offering you these 8 opinions today?  Well, if you’re following me on Instagram, you know I’m working through a Photo Challenge/Book Club through the month of April.  On April 13^th I wrote about practicing a “pause” before answering a question (click here if you’d like to read it again).  Not necessarily because I might say something I regret, but more because my natural inclination is to answer something like: “whatever” or “I’m good with whatever you want to do.”  Opinions are kind of like decision making or answering a question.  I often fall right in the middle of whatever issue is being discussed.  I can see each side! This “in the middle-ness” applies to everything – current event hot topics to Mexican food or pizza for dinner! After some self-reflection, I decided it was time to voice my opinion occasionally, though, so there are the first 8. 😊

But, you know, the world spends lots of time these days discussing opinions – many times angry ones, sometimes hurtful ones and often ad nauseum.  Television offers us twenty-four-hour coverage of opinions and even people’s opinions on other people’s opinions! Snap judgements are blasted loud when someone doesn’t know – or want to know – the whole story.  Angry, red-faced, stick-to-the-talking-points arguments show no love and mercy. 

As I reflected, thinking my hesitations through all the way to the end, I understood that’s why I have such a hard time saying what I think.  I want people to see the things we have in common, to grow relationships, to offer helpful and loving pieces of themselves.  Opinions can be fun to discuss when they are trivial and silly like the ones I offered you today.  Opinions can be sources of growth when well-thought out, offered in love and when the listener is open.  They can also be deeply personal and meaningful based on past experience, or they can be parroted because that’s what someone has heard or been taught. 

Please, hear me say, hold on to thoughtful opinions, examine them.  Then, pick up another person’s opinion, examine it thoughtfully.  Perhaps, the commonality is greater than the difference.  If it is, celebrate it.  If it’s not, choose a posture of love and compassion anyway.  (You may hate having dishes in your sink and believe that each should be washed immediately, or hate jellypop shoes, or be a die-hard fan of lip gloss and that’s ok.  We can disagree without hatred – on trivial opinions or big ones.) Today, I challenge you to ask someone’s opinion, then listen.  Instead of offering your opinion first, ask someone else first.  Then allow them to pause.  Please leave space for their answer and keep these Words in mind as you do.  And it’s ok if you need to start with asking how they feel about the shopping carts at Lowe’s:

“Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.” 

James 1:19

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Ephesians 4:29

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

Psalm 19:14

Speaking of opinions…

My friends, do you have a favorable opinion on my blog and website? I am just a few days from my 42^nd birthday and have set a goal to grow my email subscriber list by 42 people!  Will you subscribe today?  My promise to you: a weekly email (usually Wednesday morning) that has the link to encouragement that I’ve written and curated especially for you. (PS: Once you’ve subscribed, don’t forget to confirm from your email.)  After that’s all done, think of someone else who may need a weekly note of encouragement and share this website with them.  Thank you in advance! 

(And also, I’m completely serious about the lip gloss and sandals comments!)

Hugs and blessings, Bethany