All Discouragement is From the Devil

I read this quote many years ago in a Catherine Marshall book, and I like it. Discouragement is such an evil thing.

Lately, everything, especially at work, has been uphill, and gradually, I felt drained. I went in the office today in an evil mood. Absolutely nothing was seriously wrong, but the last few weeks, some little thing or other seemed to go sour with everything I touched.

I'd be driving, and someone would narrowly miss hitting me. I kept getting tiny injuries - would you believe a paper cut on my lip? And banged up hands, broken nails, a huge bruise on my hip from a hotel door handle, klutsy stuff.

I'd work on a project, but there'd be a missing piece and it couldn't be finished. Small half-day projects lingered on my desk with missing bits, taking a week or more. I called for repairs on a bit of computer equipment, and something went wrong with the part order. I purchased an office computer, and a critical item wasn't in the box. I'd call somebody, and they wouldn't get back to me. I'd say something to someone, and it would be exactly the wrong thing to say.

I knew my mood was poisonous before I left the house this morning. I was a miserable critter in the car, praying that I'd get my act together because I knew the things bothering me were nothing more than an unusually large crop of very small annoyances. Nobody should have to put up with me in that state of mind.

Then, I got some surprises. I realized I had forgotten my antibiotics (having dental surgery tomorrow, maybe part of my "mood disorder") and asked John, who hadn't left the house yet, if he could pick them up at the pharmacy. I could meet him at his office and get them - well, he ran them by my office later and took me to lunch!

A friendly, cheerful technician showed up to fix the broken equipment that had been waiting on the part, and completely solved that problem; another person got back to me with information to solve a government paperwork issue for us. I managed to cross off several items from that stubborn "to do" list. We had a website problem, but the programmers fixed it right away.

At some point, checking my personal email, there was a lovely note from an old friend. Also, the cutest slipper photo showed up (no, not my pattern, a clever warm felted one) and when I asked about the yarn, that knitter sent a clear explanation of what to buy and how to do it. There were two appreciative notes from people who are learning to machine knit, and a marvelous email from a new knitting friend telling me a little of her story and encouraging me to slow down and get my priorities in order. There was also a quick call from the dentist's office saying that I don't need sedation and can be awake and drive myself home tomorrow.

I am not sure when the mood lifted, but all is well. I had forgotten, for a little while, how terrific people can be.