The morning air is chilly; your breath clings cold to your cheeks. The rain beats down hard upon the roof. You begin to feel the cold seeping in so you snuggle down under the covers... The house is silent of all sounds except the drops of water which flood down from the heavens. It is going to be a rainy day.
Slowly you climb out of bed, pull on your clothes as quickly as possible and sigh a big, depressive sigh. You gaze out the window, fingering the hard, cold material of the curtain. It seems as if the day is being washed away along with the rain. Your hopes, your plans - soaked. You feel your heart sinking, miserable. What is the use? You ask.
How many days have you woken up to some great disappointment? How many times has the rain appeared to drown all your hopes? On these days it seems as if there is only bad. All the excitement you went to sleep with is only stripped away with the dawning light. You stumble through the day, dwelling on what could have been - what almost was. If only... The light is quite gone for you it seems and the bad is all around you, surrounding you with its dark waters. You never noticed the imperfection before..
Your face reflects the ingratitude stored within the walls of your heart. What is the use of hiding it, you may ask. If the day dawns 'bad' then surely it will stay bad?
The answer to this is no.
How many times my attitude to the day has been like the one I described above, I cannot begin to count. My unthankfulness, ingratitude, and cross feelings blocked the path to joy because I felt and saw and thought the bad. Instead of waking up with a heart of thanks for the rain, I woke up seeing the negative - a day spoiled and wet.
Instead of praising God for His mercies in providing us and the surrounding farmers and neighbors with much needed and prayed for rain, I chose to give in to the disappointment I felt at having my plans thwarted - my plans changed.
Yes, I sometimes I allow my feelings to get the better of me, to rule me. I see the bad - only the bad. The bad in the weather, the bad in my family members. All I see is how hard I have it!
But on the days when something happens, changes perhaps and messes up my little world, I need to take my thoughts captive and instead give thanks to Christ for His grace. ...How hard this is to do!! How is it possible to see the good? But in the times when I do manage to hold it together and allow the Lord to work, I find I have a peace and joy. Thanking God in the 'bad' isn't easy but it is right.
I see that when I change my thinking and my outlook, the whole day looks brighter - in spite of the rain! With a positive attitude instead of the negative, I enjoy the rest of my day. The droplets of water no longer feel hot and unwelcome on my face, but rather cool and refreshing to my soul. By thanking and submitting to the the will of Jesus I release myself from the negative.
I need to learn how to be thankful in ALL circumstances; to spot the good things in each situation. Yes, the bad things are very easy to see, but it is the good things that aren't.
My challenge for this week is to really think about what I am feeling. Is there a cross thought waiting to be indulged or is there a blessing to be embraced?
In Christ,
Kelly-Anne
