Escaping the Island of But

In a prior post, Get Joy by Kicking But, I told the story of a girl living on the Island of But. One blogger I follow, Malcolm, made this comment: “Great post, Dana with wonderful ideas…. I’d like to develop the story as to where the girl sails to. The land of gratitude? The island of hope? The state of acceptance? How does she respond to her breakfast, boss and boyfriend there?”

I always admire the way Malcolm interweaves his many musings with inspiration, so hopefully I won’t let him down! Will the girl choose to escape the Island of But?

One day the girl on the Island of But was at the market choosing her muffins for the week. The bakery there makes lovely muffins, but they usually run out of her favorite flavor.

As she leaves with her second choice of muffin, she notices an former coworker in line. She says hello, noticing he looked somehow different, more relaxed, maybe happier?

Her coworker explains how months of struggling with sadness and frustration prompted him to get help. He found someone to talk to and began paying attention to his attitude toward himself and others. He began reading his Bible again, focusing on God’s promises.

The Isle of Why Not?

When he learned he had the power to make his own choices, he sailed to the Isle of Why Not? Why Not? has helped him to embrace the goodness in his life and realize his own potential. Slowly overcoming his need to compare himself to others, or to try and please them, he set a goal to one day move on to the Place of Contentment. Now he comes to the Island of But to lead a support group, encouraging others to choose joy. As he left the market, he invited her to visit the group.

As she placed her items on the counter, the cashier asked her if she was trying a new muffin today. A smile slowly appears on her face, as she says, “Why not?”

I will leave the rest of the story to your own imagination. Or, better yet, how will you imagine the rest of your story? Will you transition to the Isle of Why Not? or will you sail directly to the Place of Contentment? You choose!

Jesus says yes to all of God’s many promises. It is through Jesus that we say, “Let it be so,” when we give thanks to God. 2 Corinthians 1:20