So, I seem to be on a bi-annual cadence in writing in this blog. I still owe you the story of the 2nd cousin I met last year but I will have to save that for another time.
I love reading blogs. Yesterday I wasted a good chunk of my day reading about other people’s lives and living vicariously through them. I feel like so many people in my life are so wise and/or funny. I covet their prowess with language and their ability to transport me into their world. They make the most mundane parenting task seem like something I couldn’t live without and the most complex theological concept so real and applicable. The power of the written word is amazing.
Speaking of words, I have been struggling with the title of my blog. Five years ago it was right on, but as I approach the twilight of my 20s I realize that I am probably past the quarter mark in my life (unless I pull a Methuselah). Unfortunately, I still feel like I am going through my quarter life crisis. I am little more secure than I was 5 years ago, but I am still at a loss for what the next steps in my life should be. The things I thought I needed to move past the quarter life crisis were husband (no luck there), babies (definitely not), or a house (still working on that). But what really do I have to complain about? I have a job that I enjoy and can support myself. I have amazing friends who love me and a family that I know will be there for me if I need them.
Friday, March 23, 2012
My Crummy (but not really) Day
Today was one of those days that I just didn’t want to be at work. So, I wrote this post...
Due to allergies I feel crummy and I have been criticized twice already. That’s probably a good day for some, but due to how awesome my life is normally, these two small things caused me to to throw myself a pity party. I was walking over to my friend’s desk to gossip about my terrible day and God stopped me in my tracks. How would that help the situation? It wouldn’t. All this was on the heels of God clearly answering my prayer the day before. How quickly I forget how much God loves me!
So, here is the back story. I have a new boss and he is funny and sarcastic but he drops more cuss words than a drunken sailor. I don’t consider myself a prude (although others may), but it started getting on my nerves. As someone who actively pursues holiness, I noticed that the language of those around me began to invade my vocabulary and this was not pleasing to the Lord. I was in a staff meeting with this new boss and I couldn’t pay attention because I was counting how many time he cursed. I started counting about 15 minutes in and I got up to 50 before I gave up. So anyway, I asked my missional community to pray that God would give me wisdom on how to approach this situation. I also asked the ladies in my praying life class to pray for me to handle this in a way that would not cause me to lose credibility with my boss so that I can still share the gospel with him.
Yesterday, I was sitting at my desk and there was a woman in the conference room next to me who chose to use some colorful language. My boss rolled over and asked me if I could hear that. I said yes, but I was surprised that it bothered him. He hung his head and went back to his desk. Five seconds later he came to me and said that he was going to try to stop swearing at work. I almost fell out of my chair. God is so good to me! I immediately texted all my friends that were praying for me to tell them about God’s faithfulness.
Not only was this encouraging to me and my friends, but I also shared the story with one of my co-workers. She is not a believer because she doesn’t want to give up doing whatever she wants, but she is definitely receptive when I talk about what God is doing in my life. I told her about God answering this prayer and she teared-up. Pray for her.
So, I thought that writing a blog post would be cathartic. I thought that my desire to share my woes would be replaced with joy in remembering God’s faithfulness, but I still really want to go gossip with my friend. So I guess that I need to pray that God would change the desires of my heart and that I would find my value in Him and not in other people. God is so faithful, but I fail over and over. That is the story of my life. Thank goodness my value does not rest on my achievements.
This is true of me:
“They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.” Titus 1:16
What God thinks of me:
“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3: 1-3
Due to allergies I feel crummy and I have been criticized twice already. That’s probably a good day for some, but due to how awesome my life is normally, these two small things caused me to to throw myself a pity party. I was walking over to my friend’s desk to gossip about my terrible day and God stopped me in my tracks. How would that help the situation? It wouldn’t. All this was on the heels of God clearly answering my prayer the day before. How quickly I forget how much God loves me!
So, here is the back story. I have a new boss and he is funny and sarcastic but he drops more cuss words than a drunken sailor. I don’t consider myself a prude (although others may), but it started getting on my nerves. As someone who actively pursues holiness, I noticed that the language of those around me began to invade my vocabulary and this was not pleasing to the Lord. I was in a staff meeting with this new boss and I couldn’t pay attention because I was counting how many time he cursed. I started counting about 15 minutes in and I got up to 50 before I gave up. So anyway, I asked my missional community to pray that God would give me wisdom on how to approach this situation. I also asked the ladies in my praying life class to pray for me to handle this in a way that would not cause me to lose credibility with my boss so that I can still share the gospel with him.
Yesterday, I was sitting at my desk and there was a woman in the conference room next to me who chose to use some colorful language. My boss rolled over and asked me if I could hear that. I said yes, but I was surprised that it bothered him. He hung his head and went back to his desk. Five seconds later he came to me and said that he was going to try to stop swearing at work. I almost fell out of my chair. God is so good to me! I immediately texted all my friends that were praying for me to tell them about God’s faithfulness.
Not only was this encouraging to me and my friends, but I also shared the story with one of my co-workers. She is not a believer because she doesn’t want to give up doing whatever she wants, but she is definitely receptive when I talk about what God is doing in my life. I told her about God answering this prayer and she teared-up. Pray for her.
So, I thought that writing a blog post would be cathartic. I thought that my desire to share my woes would be replaced with joy in remembering God’s faithfulness, but I still really want to go gossip with my friend. So I guess that I need to pray that God would change the desires of my heart and that I would find my value in Him and not in other people. God is so faithful, but I fail over and over. That is the story of my life. Thank goodness my value does not rest on my achievements.
This is true of me:
“They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.” Titus 1:16
What God thinks of me:
“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3: 1-3
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