I gazed wearily at a myriad of dirty dishes piled high on the counter. I dreaded tackling the baked on grease that had left a crusty residue on the stovetop. I disliked dragging out the sweeper to vacuum crumbs off the floor. And I resented the endless search for plastic lids to house leftovers needing refrigeration.
Wishing I were Samantha on Bewitched who could wiggle her nose to make it all disappear. My sighs were noticeable.
My mother looked at me with concern in her eyes. It was one of her many visits to Indy, and we had just finished our evening meal. My husband and our sons had escaped to the yard. And I looked with disdain at all that needed to be done.
It was then my wise mother made a simple suggestion. “Thank God that you CAN.”
Instead of complaining about all you have to do, thank God that you can walk to the refrigerator. Thank Him you are able to sweep the floor. Thank God for food on the table. And most importantly, thank Him you have a family that caused all this work.
She reminded me of the privilege that was mine to take care of my home and family. How many women wished they had of all this! Her words changed my perspective and still ring in my ears today. Whenever I’m overwhelmed with busyness, I try to remember my mother’s advice. Thank God I CAN!
It wasn’t a coincidence to find a post the other day reminding me of my mother’s perspective on life. The author suggested changing one little word in our vocabulary. Instead of complaining about all you HAVE to do, consider what you GET to do.
Do you find yourself saying…
“I HAVE to go to work.
I HAVE to fix dinner.
I HAVE to finish the laundry.
I HAVE to help the kids with homework.”
What if we said, “I GET” to do all of the above!
If we weren’t surrounded by people we love…a job that provides…children and grandchildren who need us…and numerous other opportunities, we’d never HAVE to do anything. We could just sit there and eat bonbons! How boring life would be without them.
What if we looked at our responsibilities as gifts? What if we considered our chores privileges?
It’s another way to say thank you to God when we change our “HAVE to” to “GET to.”
What a wonderful privilege to serve those I love. How bored I’d be without a family or a job or a ministry.
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts.
Use them well to serve one another. I Peter 4:10
So now I’m challenged to remember to say:
I GET to go to work today. I GET to watch my grandchildren tomorrow. I GET to write a blog this week. I GET to lead a Bible study every Tuesday. I still GET to wash and dry clothes (and sometimes I even GET to iron). I GET to fix an occasional meal, and I GET to clean up afterwards. All because of the blessings God has given me to steward. I am a blessed woman, indeed!
Because of all He gives, I GET to take care of them all.
So next time you’re tempted to complain, remember to thank God you CAN.
Then change the word HAVE to GET! Maybe making a couple little tweaks in your vocabulary will improve your perspective on life…only for the better.
Do you think one little word could change your perspective on life?