"And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it... " ... Numbers 11:1
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Never fails. Every summer the Holy Spirit goes into overtime convicting me about my complaining.
Why every summer? Because it begins with my oft complaints about the heat. "Man, it's so hot. I think I'm gonna die. All these fans in here are so loud that we have to shout at each other. This computer is making me even sweatier. So I get out to mow the yard early in the morning, but it's still so blooming hot and wipes me out the whole rest of the day."
But you know where all that leads don't you? Those it's-too-hot complaints come flowing over my tongue so free and easy and then that new complaining habit spreads like a prairie fire.
"I barely slept last night. The garage is a big, fat mess so I'm not going out there until you clean it up, Tom. People are so grouchy lately. It's time to feed the birds again? Man, they're like teensy pigs with wings. My head hurts. I'm sick of reading books--that's all I've been doing because it's too hot to do anything else."
And on and on to infinity.
You'd think I'd learn, but every summer I have to relearn this lesson: Become free and easy with complaining about summer heat and eventually you'll wake up deep inside Sad, Sorry Complaining World.
And that's one dark planet where it's not a cinch to escape.
No, it takes lots of help from God, tons of reminders (dare I say nagging?) from the Holy Spirit to yank you back out to the fresh air of gratitude and acceptance and making the most out of what you have.
I know this. I've been through this. And I'm in the middle of that Holy Spirit Yanking Process once again. Thank-goodness.
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Form a complaining habit and it will carry you to places you do not wish to go.
3 comments:
Seriously - were we separated at birth?! Your brain and my brain think very much alike. (I bet I swear more though. :)
Here's a fun thing my friend Steffi did (she's second from left in front):
http://complaints-choir.com/
Apparently these are all over the world, because people, you know, like to complain.
The heat does seem to bring this out, doesn't it! We're all so thrilled to see spring arrive, and early summer, and then - I think we fall a bit behind where we think we should be and feel all grumbly. At least, I do.
But you sound as if you've found the solution!
As for the heat...this too shall pass, as did the snowy winter and the wet spring we have had in the past.
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