Sometimes I get grumpy. Just ask my kids.
I get grumpy when I have too much to do. Too many messes. Too many deadlines. Too many responsibilities. Too many.
I struggle every day against letting my circumstances determine my mood. Lately I’ve been trying to focus on what makes me grumpy and to put a STOP to it.
Here’s what I realized: I complain too much about having too much and too many.
- Too many dishes to wash
- Too much laundry to do
- Too many hand-me-downs to sort through
- Too many emails to answer
- Too much food to preserve
- Too many people who need something from me
- Too many messes all over the house
SO…as I was sorting through EIGHT huge rubbermaids of hand-me-downs and figuring out what warm clothes fit which boy this year…I was starting to feel discouraged and overwhelmed.
And then I realized: LAURA! You’re complaining about having SO MANY FREE CLOTHES you hardly know what to do with yourself! Listen to yourself!! STOP it!
It seems that the things I complain about the most are the things I love the most. I LOVE my children…even if they do make messes. I can’t even express how happy I am to have four loud boys around to make messes!!!
I love all this garden produce that takes me hours to preserve. I REALLY love it in the winter when all I have to do is grab a jar out of the pantry, open it and eat it! I love hand-me-downs. I love all the emails I get! I love having people around me that need me. I love being a homemaker. I’d rather be at home doing mountains of dishes and laundry than anywhere else in the world!
So, I’m working on recognizing the times my heart turns sinful and wants to complain and whine about the blessings around me. That really is what I’m doing when I complain about everything around me…complaining about TOO MANY BLESSINGS.
Today…I choose to be thankful for “too many”. Too many is really, really good.
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What are you grateful for this Gratituesday? Write about it on your blog, then link up here so we can all come read about how God is working in your life! If you don’t have a blog, please be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for!
This is so true of many of us. We complain about our many blessings. It’s very sad. I am guilty of doing it also. But I am trying to stop.
Amen Laura!! Thank you so much for this reminder!!
I have been feeling the same way lately, but have to remind myself that all of these things are really blessings. Most of the time when I feel overwhelmed I know it is time for an attitude change toward gratitude. :-) Thanks for sharing your feelings because I realize I am not the only one.
Thanks for posting this. I think I needed to hear it tonight! The Lord brought this very thing to my attention just last week as I was complaining about having to go to CVS and Walgreens. He reminded me that I was going to get FREE stuff. Needless to say God gave me a loving Fathers gut check to make me straighten up my attitude. Thanks for reminding me again!
Laura, thank you for this post. I know I’m certainly guilty of complaining about my too many blessings……thanks for letting God use you to speak to me tonight!
Great post, Laura! :)
Wow! What an eye opener! Very well said. I think we all struggle with complaining about things we should be greatful for. I know I am certainly with you on this one.
haha. Today, I was fussing about too many coupons. That’s like saying, “I have too much money to sort through.”
Thank you so much for this! I definitely needed it today! I was waist deep in hand me downs today and probably will be there for a couple more days. Thank you for your honesty!
So true!!!
Thank you for sharing this tonight. I think it’s a lesson that we need to be reminded of over and over again.
Ok, way to convict me… but um… can I still be a LITTLE grumpy about the toys and the HUGE mess they are? Please? :-)
So very true. Thank you!
Laura. You are a wise women. Thank you for posting that eye opener. I can get that way also. Today was one of them. We do need to be grateful for all that we have and I am glad I have you to remind me of that. I love your blog.
You have gotten me back in the kitchen.LOL
Jean
Thanks for this post. Your blog is truly a blessing to my heart. I look forward to reading each day! It IS such a blessing to be able to do all these things for our families, it is just sometimes hard to remember that when we are in the thick of things.
Blessings to you!
This post reminds me of the poem by Shel Silverstein. I think its called Too many elbows to scrub or Too many Kids in the Tub. All I know is that it was my fave poem growing up.
And I understand about the too much thing. I have sorted, washed, and folded too much clothing over the last week. I have cleaned too many milk spills and vacuumed too many snack crumbs. But at least we have lots of clothing. And if we have another girl, can can easily pull out clothing based on size from storage. Plus all the clothes that are gender neutral have been sorted for use with the soon to be here baby. Its sort of satisfying to see it all done though.
Thank you for this post! It truly helps to be reminded that we need to be grateful for everything–even the crushed up Cheerios under the little one’s car seat!
Even when things truly don’t seem to be going my way, taking a step back and realizing the gifts that He has bestowed on me in the forms of 2 amazing children and a loving, devoted husband are what matters.
Have a blessed day!
Great post…great reminder.
Thanks!
This is me too 100%
I’m glad I’m not alone in this. Thanks!!
It’s amazing how your post goes with mine… different, yet the same.
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I grew up with my mom saying, “I have set my mind…” It was years before I understood what that meant.
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I have set my mind to focus on what the SPIRIT desires.
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I have set my mind to be thankful.
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I have set my mind to praise Him no matter the circumstances.
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TRANSFORMATION!!!!
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Now you have ‘him’ on the run. he hates when we praise and dance in glorious thankfulness. ‘Count your many blessings, name them one by one’ a hymn sung in our church but not as often as the old days. Your gratefulness has spilled over on all who visit you.
I was returning a visit from Diann of The Thrifty Groove and learned about Gratituesday. I just may have to play next week.
I blogged about this very thing not too long ago:
http://www.halleethehomemaker.com/2009/08/virtues-loving-my-children/
i could have written this myself. thanks for reminding me to love my too many’s.
Thanks so much for this post! I woke up yesterday with the “Too Much” attitude. It’s so hard to delight in my duty! But that is my heart’s desire. Thanks for the encouragement.
I am thankful for all my “too much’s” today!
Laura,
Thank you for being bravely honest. I too find that the things that I complain the most about are the things (people) I love the most. When you’re a mom you put your heart and soul into everything and sometimes a complaining feels too easy. Thanks for reminding me to focus on the positives!
This was absolutely what I needed to read today, so thanks for this post! I’m grumpy and feeling the stress, but this is a great reminder of ALL the things I have to be grateful for. Thanks!
Love this post. Reminds me of “Prayer of a Homemaker” or “Lord, Thank You” someone once sent to me. I am emailing it to you in case you’ve never seen it.
Thank you for changing my perspective on comlaining and murmuring.
I’m going to get up and get those apples done!
you are just so right I often try to put a positive spin on life such as instead of too much there is a reason to do to be ….
Thank you. I needed this post today.
Oh I’ll add my voice to the masses – I am too am guilty of all of thee above and also echo your sentiments about being at home. Thanks for sharing today!