Losing Our Joy

Most of the time I am able to handle the things that come my way with a measure of calm.  However, I remember one day that I lost my joy.  It started out that I was running late and had to hurry home to take my dogs to the groomer.  I then picked up the mail and received two unexpected pieces of bad news.  Then I had to load the dogs in the car, and they didn’t want to cooperate.  As I chased my dogs I twisted my foot.  I began to sink into a rotten attitude as I drove them to the groomers. I whined about my sore foot, my new bills and even the old junker of a car I was driving at the time. When I arrived at the groomers, the dogs again did not cooperate.  After I dropped them off, I was so frustrated that I decided that I deserved to soothe my nerves with a bag of chips from the Dollar Tree.  I limped into the line waiting to check out, whining to myself at the bills I received and the soreness of my foot.  My mood was interrupted when the guy in front of me asked if I could get a pint of milk for him, since he was in a wheelchair and couldn’t reach it.  I limped to my errand and handed the man the pint of milk.  It was then that the Holy Spirit invaded my rotten attitude with a spirit of gratitude.  The man couldn’t walk; I only had a sore foot.  I drove an old car, but he got around town in a wheelchair.  He was disabled but I had gainful employment.  Tears of gratitude ran down my cheeks as I repented of my whining and began to praise the Lord for how good He has been to me.  The joy I had lost came flooding back.

Have you ever had one of those days where whining and complaining seem to invade your spirit.  Just look around and you will indeed see how blessed you really are.  Allow God to give you a Holy Spirit directed attitude adjustment.  “O taste and see that the Lord is good…” (Psalm 34:8).