“Why are you so grouchy today?” Mike asked me one morning.
“Am I?” I hadn’t noticed it, but I realized maybe he was right. The truth was, I wasn’t looking forward to the day ahead. It was just one of those days filled with a bunch of mundane, necessary chores. Nothing exciting or fun.
As I contemplated how my outlook on the day was affecting my mood, a conversation came to mind that I had recently had with a friend. We had been talking about her busy weekend and all the many things she had to juggle, most of them service-oriented. And then, to top it all off, on Sunday morning she would get up at the crack of dawn to make an early grocery store run before church so she could put together a birthday lunch for a family member.
“Wow, that’s a lot! And then you have to get up early to make that lunch on Sunday!” I exclaimed.
She looked at me with a bit of bewilderment in her expression. “Oh, I don’t have to. I get to!”
She said it with such deep sincerity that it caught me off guard. Something that I was seeing as a chore she saw as an opportunity to bless her family.
Now on a day when I was grumbling about the things I ‘had” to do, that conversation jumped into my mind. And it made me stop and think.
How often do I view daily tasks in a negative light rather than being thankful for having the ability to do them? Why am I not more grateful for the fact that I have health and strength, and that I have people in my life to do things with and for?
Nothing in this life is guaranteed. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We don’t know what our capabilities or circumstances will be like next week. We don’t know who will be in our lives and who might be gone.
Why not appreciate each day and the events that come with it, and look at them as opportunities, as things we “get” to do? Those things may not be here tomorrow.
I am reminded of one of Lexi’s favorite quotes: “The lust for future comfort is the greatest thief of life.” Are we too busy dwelling on things we wish we were doing to enjoy the moments we have been given?
Today I will determine to embrace and appreciate all the many things I GET to do. Even the hard, boring, inconvenient, and burdensome things.
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
The timing of your post today is crazy pertinent to the Bible reading plan I’m in. From 1Chron. 16, it says that David went home to bless his household.
One of the commenters wrote, “What does it mean to bless your household?”
My response was to give opportunities to your family; : opportunities to learn, grow, experience, talk, question, give, share, etc. and for me this happens the most by providing mealtimes.
Then not 15 minutes later I read your post about your friend saying the same thing, which is a confirmation to me.
I also get grumpy when facing the daily, tedious tasks that we have to do over and over and over again. Today I will think about these in light of opportunities that I might not have next week.
A very timely reminder to slow down and be thankful for health, our ability to serve and to do many other tasks/things we take for granted. We know others in our life, who due to health issues, would love to be able to complete mundane tasks. Thank you for this post.
I was thinking the same thing. Thanks, Debbie.
Wow, Nancy, I love your definition of “blessing your household.” That convicts me to be intentional about cultivating those things in my family. And providing good food definitely has a way of bringing everybody together. It’s a labor of love! Thanks for helping me dig deeper into that.
Wow, Nancy, I love your definition of “blessing your household.” That convicts me to be intentional about cultivating those things in my family. And providing good food definitely has a way of bringing everybody together. It’s a labor of love! Thanks for helping me dig deeper into that.
I am so glad you are allowing the Lord to “grow your soul” and are willing to share it so openly. Grace and Peace, sis.
Thanks, Mike.