Attitude is a choice

Yesterday could have been a really awful day for me. It certainly was "one of those days." I didn't want to get up when the alarm went off. My car wouldn't start so I had to walk to work. I get to work and then have to clean up my room because the Wednesday night ministry didn't do too good of a job. As I was cleaning, the basket of 85 popcicle sticks my kids use at seatwork time fell to the floor. I was almost late to teacher's meeting. I still have a stack of papers to grade. I got a glob of bright pink frosting on my plum-colored jumper. I had to do day care when I wanted to go home.

Its easy to look at myself and see how bad I think I have it, when in fact, I have it so well. It brings me back to the story of the Israelites and their attitude. When Moses brought them out of the land of Egypt (hey, wouldn't that have been good enough...no more bondage and slavery under the Egyptians?) and they complained and said it would be better for them to be back in bondage. The Lord prorvided for them in miraculous ways (manna and water and the leading of the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night) and all they could was complain. They thought Moses was trying to kill them! Then, while wandering in the wilderness for forty years, their shoes and clothes did not wear out. But, they probably didn't care for that miracle either. All of their troubles and "woe is me" came on them because of their choice of their attitude. Things didn't go they way they wanted, so they complained about it as if it were God's fault. All these years later, and that attitude is still evident.

Here's the truth:
Psalm 68:19Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

Daily He LOADS us with benefits. That load depends on you. Are you trying to fill up a teaspoon or lake?

Yesterday, I did get frustrated every no and then, but I choose to have a good attitude about what happened. I even got a few good laughs to share about the day (with my roommates and even my mom when she called).

I didn't want to get up when the alarm went off. --> I can hear, I have electricity, I live in a nice house, I was sleeping in a bed.
My car wouldn't start so I had to walk to work. --> I live within a two-minute from the church/school, I can walk, it wasn't snowing, and it wasn't too cold or muddy.
I get to work and then have to clean up my room because the Wednesday night ministry didn't do too good of a job. --> the kids' club is an outreach to the lost souls, someone may have received Jesus as their Savior.
As I was cleaning, the basket of 85 popcicle sticks my kids use at seatwork time fell to the floor.--> At least there were only 85 and not 850 to pick up, I can use my body as some others can't, it was the only thing that I knocked down.
I was almost late to teacher's meeting. --> I wasn' late, I could hear the devotions and process them
I still have a stack of papers to grade. --> I have a job :)
I got a glob of bright pink frosting on my plum-colored jumper. --> It'll wach out, it was a student's birthday, the cupcakes were a treat.
I had to do day care when I wanted to go home.--> Again, I have a job and I get to see the kids in a slightly different atmosphere and I deal with a few others while in day care.

The blessing far out-weigh the troubles. There are many more that I probably haven't seen. I praise God for His mercy and His blessing on my life!