Praise or Pout.

Everyday I discover that I have a choice on the attitude that I want to have for the day. Some people do not think that we do but we do. We can choose our attitude and response to the events in our lives.

As a Christian, my desire is to be like Christ and live His example in everything I do and say. Easier said than done. The desire to be like Christ and actually act it out on a regular basis is tough. Many days my attitude of my selfish nature collides with the attitude of an eternal Saviour.

This past Saturday was another collision between my human nature and my pursuit for the divine. I had just arrived at my weekend job and the new schedule was up for the MONTH! I was not happy with the shifts I was given. I work two jobs so some weeks I work seven days a week and after awhile I just get tired. Last Saturday I was tired after working over 40 hours and six days that week between the two jobs. And both my jobs are totally customer service related so I am constantly dealing with customers, their requests and sometimes their lovely attitudes. To rejuvanate myself, I need moments to myself in order to be ready to serve.

So when I read the schedule, I was so irritated. Come on, my manager knows that I work another job and she should take that into consideration when making the schedule, right? I was complaining to a fellow co-worker when I was stopped in the middle of my conversation with the thought that I could either praise God or I could selfishly pout. (Don't you just love it when God throws a lesson right into your face?) So I stopped my tired, selfish tirade and choose to praise God that I had the extra hours which means I would make a little extra money that I thought which would help pay for my vacation home. I felt better and went to work.

Not ten minutes later was that same attitude pressed when I had to help customers who had no idea how to use a computer, how to find CD's or I had to let them into the bathroom. And that attitude was tested again a few days later when my schedule was changed and I was given another shift in an already crazy week.

I know it is not easy to praise God when I am tired or stressed. I know that it is not easy to praise God when the path does not go my way and I would rather pout in defiance and self-righteous than praise God that He is still on the throne no matter what is going on. But I find out that when I praise God for the blessings He has given me and praise Him just because He is God, my day and my attitude are so much better and I am more open to allow God to use me to touch another person's life.

So I will wake up today and I will make a decision. Will I praise or will I pout?