We all have preferences. And we all have a range of ways in which we express those preferences. When people feel very strongly about their preferences, we call them insistent, and in extreme cases, dogmatic control freaks. When people do not express their preferences very strongly, we say that they are easy-going, and in extreme cases, label them as doormats.
I think I’ve become more insistent about those preferences over which I still have some degree of control. But as I have become more dependent upon others for basic functions, I have, out of necessity, become more easy-going in those areas. I prefer showering to bathing. I prefer my clothes cupboard to be arranged a certain way. I prefer my hair and nails to be done a certain way. The list goes on. All of these are preferences of which I’ve relinquished control.
I believe that one of the reasons some people in similar circumstances become angry and bitter is that they don’t release those preferences and instead become more dogmatic about them. This is an understandable reaction to the feeling that one is losing control, but is also detrimental to oneself and to others.
On the contrary, a vast majority of the people that I have encountered in similar circumstances to my own display a remarkable degree of peace. I believe one of the keys to this is the ability to release the preferences that are actually not very important.
Finally, I want to emphasize that God’s grace is a huge factor in being able to cope with releasing these preferences. Without His supernatural help, I don’t think I’d be able to do it, and I certainly wouldn’t have the peace of mind and heart that I have now.
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