“Are you fun to live with?“ I asked at a Mom2Mom Banquet last week. Young moms are still telling me how they pondered that question all week. What would your answer be?
God first asked me this question 40 years ago when I read it in a chapter title of some book. God pops the question to me over and over as the years go by, often at a time when I can’t honestly answer “yes,” on days like yesterday.
Yesterday I was NOT fun to live with. I chose to get bogged down in some circumstances. As the day went on, I got lazier and crabbier and focused on poor little ole’ me and slowly slid into a funk, not a good place to land when trying to write a blog like this.
I had forgotten a lesson I’d learned: “I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our attitudes.” Chuck Swindoll
Today “Yes, I am fun to live with.” So what changed? My circumstances? No. My focus? Yes. I purposely CHOSE to do two things to enjoy life today.
1) I began by thanking God outloud for a while for the multitude of things I was thankful for: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).
2) I focused on what Jesus had to say about life, realizing that things are often not as they seem to me. I let John 10:10 soak in again: “The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” – Jesus.
Today I chose not to let the devil steal my joy, kill my enthusiasm, and destroy my day; instead I chose to have a rich and satisfying life today. So how is it going for you? Are you fun to live with?