I Get To!
A few months ago, a friend shared with me about multiple stresses in her life and I listened with sympathy. Later, I was reflecting on a truth I've discovered over the years ... about how to bring more joy into my life, especially during stressful seasons. In his book 'Man's search for meaning', Viktor Frankl' says that the only thing that cannot be taken away from a person is his or her attitude. Attitude! An eight letter word pregnant with possibility ... to transform darkness into light, sorrow into joy, shackles into freedom and the heavy robe of despair into a garment of praise.
When I say 'I have to clean the toilets' or "I have to make dinner today" - it sounds like drudgery, doesn't it? But if I reframe the 'I have to' into 'I get to', it flips the meaning a complete 180 degrees. "I get to clean the toilets. Hooray! It's one way I can care for my loved ones!' Re-wording it transforms a chore I dislike into a big bright blessing tied with a brilliant blue bow!
Gary Thomas in his book 'A Sacred marriage' tells us that our greatest need is not to be loved (because God has already loved us). No! Our greatest need is to learn to love how to love. Now, that is a game changer as far as I am concerned. If learning to love well is what life's about, then any tedious or difficult task I do for others is a lesson in learning to love. And so, it becomes a gift and not just to those I do it for, but a gift also to myself! How cool is that!
One day last December, I woke up exhausted. I had to finish the last of my Christmas shopping that day. I would have preferred to crawl back into my bed and stay there for the next 24 hours! Shopping isn't one of my favourite things to do and I had to rearrange my thoughts so I could cope. I told myself often 'I get to buy gifts. Thank You God that I have the money to do it with. Thank You God that we have such well-stocked shops! Thank You God for my husband who works so hard and provides very well' By changing my internal dialogue, I changed my feelings.
Usually my good days are ones that I have sufficient energy for my tasks. That day, then, should have been a terrible day, but it turned out to be a happy one, simply by flipping a mental switch that changed my perspective ... like putting on new clothes for a new day.
Here are some of what you and I get to enjoy during our stint through life.
- We get to savour boring moments and transform them into pleasurable ones.
- We get to learn to love difficult people and thereby cultivate true love
- We get to perform dreary tasks so we can love our families well.
- We get to become better human beings and more like Jesus.
- We get to taste the goodness of God and to savour His love
- We get to experience His presence and His peace
- We get to learn from life's challenging lessons
- We get to become less selfish
- We get to be learn to be kind
- We get to learn to trust God
- We get to do life better
- We get to find joy
What about you? Have you discovered that a change of attitude transforms your life? Let's ask our Father to give us a fresh perspective of life in His kingdom - so we learn to love well, work hard with purpose and use our gifts to build the body of Christ. Like a toddler who flings off her clothes on a hot day revelling in her Daddy's hose pipe bath in her yard, let's fling off our bad attitudes, enjoying the delicious cool spray of our Father God's immense, boundless and unfathomable love.
I get to enjoy my life when I surrender my bad attitude into His large, capable, love-kissed Hands.
"Above all, love each other deeply for love covers over a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others." 1 Peter 4:10
