More thoughts about attitude

I wanted to call this post "What I've learned about a good attitude in the midst of stomping my feet, complaining to God, and waiting impatiently for something good to happen". But I thought it would take too long to read the title, you wouldn't stick around... so I kept it simple. As it is, my daughter tells me I am a quite wordy writer.

I mentioned in yesterday's post about the differences in the tiny houses I was walking by... while the car sat at the corner with the flat tire. One can sense the difference in attitude of each dweller by the look of the house. Those who wanted to "bloom where they are planted" and are thankful for what they have are the dwellers of the cute little well painted houses with lace curtains and well kept little lawns.

Perhaps one of the lessons I learned the most from Edith Schaeffer was that one should not neglect where they now live, even if their heart desires a different location. I thought of that teaching quite often when we rented the townhouse, the place we lived before buying this house. I don't remember ever crying when I moved in a place, until that townhouse experience.

For my surroundings were dirty, most of my neighbors scary (except the couple who lived next to us, whom we came to adore), a huge industrial trash container sat next to each door, a cement parking lot was the view from the front, and since the townhouse went "up" instead of "out"... there was no place we could easily have people over.

Sigh, I thought of Edith a lot at that time and turned my kitchen (which was surprisingly roomy) into a warm and cozy place to cook, and my bedroom was transformed (at no cost) into a very lovely place of respite even if I could hear drunk neighbors... not to mention the drug dealing teenagers. We set up the computer and the TV in the basement area with the old sofa and Lazy Boy so Christopher was happy. We gave away our formal living room set to a favorite young family.

There were times I remembered my lovely large home in the beautiful neighborhood and missed it very much. I often wondered if I'd ever have my own place again. However, Edith had taught me long ago to make where I am pretty so I often used the good dishes and had flowers on the table. (We turned what the others used as the living room level into a dining room to be able to use that furniture.)

It's truly all about attitude at times. My husband used to complain that he couldn't do much (due to his illness) and would get quite cranky. I often reminded him that the one thing he CAN take to the Lord is a good attitude. It took awhile but he began to understand what I was saying.

It's truly not a Pollyanna way of looking at things for that would verge on possibility thinking or some other soulish attempt at looking at life. Not that such a way of thinking is all bad but without a foundation for our good attitude, it would become a vain attempt at glossing over the bad things that happen to everyone.

Instead, when the foundation is Christ in our lives... there is a lot to be thankful for. If nothing else, I know this world is not my final destination and there is a lovely Home awaiting on the other side even if my present dweling is less than perfect. Life can be hard and we get weary of well doing if we aren't gaining strength for the day from the One Who Made Us. Every reason for a good attitude, even if we must put it on by faith.

So... how did we happen to arrive at our cute and cozy home in the country? That story is found under the Coffee Tea Books and Tea Favorites, called "Laying My Isaac Down". But I'll make it easy for you... just click here. :)