Grumpy, Grumpy, Grumpy

I was catching up on my blog-reading this morning, and as so often happens, one blog led me to another and then to another.  Which led me to read a post titled "When My Happy Gets Bumped." (You can find that post here:  http://www.incourage.me/2013/07/when-my-happy-gets-bumped.html)

That post really struck a chord with me.  Although I can't say I have ever described my grumpiness quite that way, I like the sound of that.  It sounds much nicer to say that my happy just got bumped that to admit that I'm a grouch!

But lately it seems that my grumpy self has shown up much too frequently.  This morning as I was writing in my prayer journal,  as I looked back a few pages to notice how God had answered my prayers, I found an entry that went something like this:  Lord, my irritable self has shown up again today and I need help.

I really don't like my grumpy self very much.  I could probably rationalize all day about how I have earned the right to be a little grumpy.  Chronic pain can do that to a person, and until I finally get that rheumatology appointment next week and hopefully finally get some new meds that will give some relief, chronic pain is a fact of life.  But that's no excuse for making everybody around me miserable with my grumpiness.

I could blame it on the weather.  I could blame it on politicians.  I could say I didn't get enough sleep. I could complain for all sorts of reasons.  But what's the point of that?  The pain persists.  And I just get grumpier. 

It's really all a matter of focus, isn't it?  Focusing on problems and pain, on weather, on political correctness, only leads to more grumpiness.

So, with sincere apologies to all who have been victims of my grumpiness, I'm making a diligent, conscious, intentional effort today to refocus.  To think about something else.  Maybe you need to do that, too.  We all have "issues" in our lives that can drag us down, that can make us a bit (or a lot!) grumpy.  We can't wish those things away, or make them disappear or change just by the power of our positive thinking. 

What we can change is our attitude!  And that can change just by what we choose to focus our attention on.

"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."  (Philippians 4:8 ESV, emphasis mine)