Grumbling State University

Anyone else *sometimes* have a case of the grumbles? And by sometimes, I mean more times than you'd like to admit? Or is it just me?

I awaken to either extreme heat or extreme cold because the 1970s heating/cooling is just.that.efficient. And I grumble.

I walk back to get a toddler who is awake earlier than usual again, usually the result of a neighbor slamming a cabinet or the fire engine off to the races just outside. Do neighbors not realize the thin walls? Do fire trucks really need to blare their sirens at 6 a.m.? Is there that much traffic in their way? I grumble.

As I walk back to the bedroom, I realize that the $20 pizza we splurged on the night before is still sitting in its pretty red box, the leftovers now ruined. In the bedtime-bathtime-late night laundromat logistics, I simply forgot to put it up. And as a bonus, it's sitting right next to the macaroni and cheese remnants from the night before. And I grumble.

The morning unfolds, and though it may be a weekend, with the schedule of things, I realize that for the  third day in a row, that the 10-minute hot shower I've been dreaming of just isn't going to happen. It's going to have to be a fast one again. And I'll have to leave the house with wet hair, looking a hot mess again. And I grumble.

Hooo boy, someone needs an attitude adjustment. Or rather, someone needs Jesus. Isn't that the truth? I'm living proof that the fruit of the Spirit doesn't originate within my own flesh, that's for sure.

But then I look at the face of my two-year-old, a quiet morning smile on his face with those adorable dimples. I see my newborn, lying on my bed with his arms stretched wide, a peaceful smile on his face as he sleeps. I think of my main man, already out the door to go be an encourager of others, while it's still dark outside. And I'm thankful.

I read posts like this one and this one, written by friends. I laugh and I nod my head. And I'm thankful.

I turn on worship music and listen to voices of praise soar. I see my sweet boy begin to sway with the music, and I start to think about his heart for worship even at this age. And I'm thankful.

The truth is that there are two dueling realities: the one in front of me, filled with distractions and weakness and a bad case of the grumbles, and the one Who is. His mercies really are new every morning and He is a giver of so many good things. After all, He's the giver of life.

As the song plays, "God I look to You, I won't be overwhelmed," I am filled yet again with the awe that He is my strength and my shield, and that life is goooooood. And the grumbles melt away, replaced with joy and gratitude.

Our God reigns, y'all. Amen.