I Need an Attitude Adjustment!

So here we are anticipating the delightful days ahead, we call them “spring”. Days filled with warm sunshine we can bask in and gentle breezes that caress our faces after the long winter months. Growing things begin to look a bit as if they really do have some life to them and even the air takes on a rather fresh smell. We will soon see hints of green and if you are like me a crocus may even begin to work its way out of the remaining snow to show its lovely head of purple or gold. Because temperatures are beginning to stay above the freezing mark most of the night. Ah yes, spring…

Well, just in case you don’t live in northern Minnesota, let me tell you what spring looks like here. For one thing we are under a winter weather advisory and expecting 2-5 inches of snow. Now that may or may not happen depending upon the jet stream, but we are getting flurries as I write this! My lovely winter play land is now melting into water covered snow and the little ravine in the back is now a swirling running creek that is too high to walk over (even covering the nice little bridges that my husband built to get us to the back of the property.) My poor puppy has no where to romp at present writing. All of the walking paths that we made for the winter are for the most part now 8-10 inches of water. I only own a pair of ankle high rubber boots to wear and that just won’t cut it at this point.

I haven’t even begun to talk about the mud, and have I told you how much I hate mud? (strong language I know, but expressing my feelings to a tee) This more than anything is my contention of with spring. Mud everywhere, in my car, in the garage, on my deck, in my mud room! And every where I walk—until the frost leaves the ground—there is mud. Do you think I need an attitude adjustment? I know I do but how in the world do I get it? Shall I just begin to speak to my self and say its okay and it will soon dry up and yada…yada…yada? No, it will be here for another month or longer. Help me! Don’t think you can talk me out of it either.

For my sanity sake I need to reconcile this very bad attitude and turn it into some sort of appreciation for what I have and where I live. It’s because I’m an outdoor kind of girl that it is just so hard to have no where to walk around and enjoy God’s creation without hip waders. Help me Lord! I know that God created all things and to every thing there is a purpose but…

I just have to go to Paul’s words regarding contentment in Philippians 4:11-12:

“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content (the Amplified adds satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”

Paul, didn’t have to necessarily deal with mud and excess water but he did have to contend with beatings, shipwreck and imprisonment. So what in the world am I complaining about? Because I don’t want to wash my floor every day, or wash the pup’s paws off and dry her every time she goes out for a walk, or look outside to a very dreary, dirty environment? Honestly, bring on the attitude adjustment!

So how can I get back some joy and do the things I mentioned above with out grumbling to myself or out loud? I may have mentioned that my husband just says when he hears me, girl, just get over it. Much easier said than done but…let me continue with the very next verse of Paul’s, verse 13:

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

And in the Amplified it reads:

“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].”

In Christ Jesus, I have been infused with his strength, I can do anything! And that means even see my circumstances around me in a much brighter light. Okay, so the sun is shining today and that indeed helps things. And it is colder so all the water has tightened up somewhat. But the bottom line is I have the ability to change my attitude which will ultimately change my circumstance simply because of Christ who lives in me.

Some of you may be thinking boy, if that is all she has to worry and complain about she should know what I am going through. Oh friend, I hear exactly what you are saying. I am not currently dealing with a life and death emergency or trauma type of situation but I can tell you that there will come a time when I will and I certainly have had to deal with some of these things in the past. Let me just say that the Scripture above is sufficient for any and ALL circumstances that we could ever imagine to suggest. And if we chose not to believe that then we all need that attitude adjustment!

Father God, You know then I get myself in that funk, my own self-created pity party where I think I just want to camp on being miserable. When I do, I am settling for so much less than you desire for me. I know that dire circumstances have and will come into my life. There may be a season of distress over these times but I cannot allow myself to fall into the pit of despair and act as if You are not already there to show me the way out. You are and each time this happens I have an opportunity to grow my faith a little bit more. For when my faith grows I am able to see things through a different lens. Somewhat the way You do. I know that for a season I will have to endure probable difficulties but that You won’t let them, consume me. Today I chose to quietly wash my floor and dry off the pup’s paws four or more times and know that the dryer days of summer are not that far off. It isn’t easy Pappa, but I am going to lean into Your promises and be content in every circumstance that I encounter. Thank you for Your patience and understanding of this—sometimes—very whiny daughter of Yours.