From Grumpy to Grace
Houston, we have a problem…
I will admit it. Earlier this week I struggled with a less than stellar mental outlook. I can’t point to any specific reason for this. Certainly, the weather was not to blame. My health is good. Nothing to complain about but I was easily bothered by the words and actions of others. My patience was non-existent-to-sluggish, but my not-so-kind thoughts, words, and negative viewpoint were quick to surface. No bones about it, I was feeling crotchety.
(Sidebar: I was going to say I had a case of the crabbies, but when I googled that phrase the results all pointed to cases of Crabbies Ginger Beer. Perhaps a couple of those beverages would have helped adjust my attitude?!)
Sadly, it took a number of days for me to recognize that I had an issue. More accurately, my loving spouse pointedly called it to my attention. Enough was enough. My next (s-l-o-w) step involved humility, which is not my strongest virtue. I did express my sorrow and ask forgiveness. Next, I tried to analyze the root cause of my grumpiness and fix it myself. There was no successful ending to that endeavor.
Ready for takeoff…
Finally, I prayed for His guidance and requested back up from Mother Mary, my Guardian Angel, and numerous go-to saints, including the strong line-up of early October heavy hitters. I made some progress, but I am claiming a boost from the Holy Spirit that helped me turn the corner.
Reading a commentary on the familiar story of Jesus’ visit to Lazarus, Martha, and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) brought me a ray of hope and a reminder that He can accomplish great things working with very little:
“Martha’s story shows us that our unexpected moments of grace can come even when we’re not in the best frame of mind.”
Stop the presses. God meets me where I am and works with whatever little I have to offer? Even my grumpiness can lead to grace in His hands! This was a revelation, maybe not in theory but in practice. Jesus met Martha in her busy, serving-focused attitude. He listened to her complaint about her sister, then gently reminded Martha that Mary had chosen the better part by serving what her heart needed… a spiritual time out, listening at the feet of Jesus.
Prepare for touchdown…
I believe that Jesus' gentle rebuke of Martha offered her a valuable life lesson that grounded her future actions. In what ways did my unexpected moments of grace ground me this week?
I should express remorse and ask forgiveness of those on the receiving end of my crabbiness. They will be graced in turn when they can offer forgiveness.
Deal with a bad attitude by turning to God first and trusting that he has a better plan and a bigger picture in mind for me.
Don’t expect perfection or even a great attitude every day; be open to the Spirit working within you, whatever the moment.
No need to just accept my bad attitude as “one of those things.” With prayer, faith, and trust, it is within my power to accept God’s moments of grace and learn from them.
