The other day I was laying in bed and the boys woke up WAY too early. (Well in my opinion, it was too early!) Anyway I laid there thinking, "great, now I have to get up." So I get up and within minutes I realized that Avery was in a really grumpy mood. I immediately addressed his behavior and told him that he had a negative attitude. "Drop the attitude NOW!" was the choice phrase I used.
That exact moment is one that I'm not sure I'll ever forget. Thankfully it was God who spoke to my heart instead of my 5 year old calling me out! God told me in that instant "Why don't you drop YOUR attitude! If you weren't in such a bad mood, Avery wouldn't be acting this way!"
...WOW! I heard it loud and clear! This attitude, this "have to do" attitude, this sense of obligation was wrong and I knew it. God reminded me in that instant that my life, and these children are not obligations. They are blessings and I GET to enjoy them. And in that moment I vowed to always view life as a privilege and not an obligation! How embarrassing to take for granted a Blessing bestowed to me by God Himself!!!!
I've always tried to blame my mood and my attitude on outside influences. I'm just tired. I'm pregnant and have 3 children to care for. I've got so much on my plate. The list goes on. But the truth is, no matter what the circumstances are, I GET to choose my attitude. It isn't easy to change completely overnight, but what I felt God tell me that way has really stuck with me!
Since that day, I never wake up saying that I HAVE to do anything. I wake up Praising God that I GET to have another day with my 3 wonderful, loving, healthy children. No matter how early it is, it isn't too early to GET to take advantage of the opportunity to love them and spend time with them. However, there is a point where it will be too late! How sad that I might have missed it!
Well said, Jen! This helped me see things differently, too!
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