You Get What You Get

Good morning.

There’s a phrase our family have quoted ironically for a decade or so:
“You get what you get, and you don’t get upset.”

It was a favourite of our children’s pre-school teacher, when handing out musical instruments to the little ones. You didn’t like the tambourine, and you want a kazoo? Sorry but: “You get what you get and you don’t get upset.”

We’ve used it on countless occasions. Who gets which seat on a train trip? Who gets which ice cream cone? Other times, it’s a resigned response to anything from bad colds to bad weather. You get wet when you get wet, and you... might get upset.

Thing is, sometimes we do get upset. As life has dealt us illnesses, heartache, bigger crises than we thought we could handle, that same catchphrase has been there waiting for us. Occasionally we mix in that other saying: “It is what it is... and you do get upset...” After all, some things are upsetting. But it doesn’t stop us getting what we’re getting.

Life’s not all ice cream and kazoos – I wish it were. Some seasons, the raincloud stays over our heads a while longer than we wanted.

So I’m praying today, God, give us today our daily bread, but please also, give us only what we can manage today. And when we get more than we think we can deal with, help us grow from it. Give us the resilience we need. And if, when we get what we get, we DO get upset, be with us in our tears. And may there be ice cream and kazoos again very soon – if not at the same time.

Amen