Friday, December 13, 2013

Good Morning?

It's a little after 5:30 in the morning. Your husband has just sweetly kissed your face before departing for work. You sink a little deeper into the couch, sipping your nice, hot coffee, and you deeply sigh. You lazily think to yourself, Self, what should I do first this morning?

When suddenly, you hear the jingling of keys; and straightaway, your husband, his nose bright red from the 18-degree weather outside, is standing before you again. He is no longer looking romantic or sentimental; he is visibly adrenalized and frustrated. No, this is not a dream, my friends. This is the story of my morning.

Why, yes. I am always ready 
to take on the world at this hour of morning.


"Hey! Hey!" He exclaims.

"Hey?" I respond, somewhat confused.

"You need to call your dad right now! The truck rolled into a ditch!" He explains in elevated tones.

My mind starts racing, a hundred questions bombarding my mind at once: What ditch? Do we even have a ditch outside of the apartment? How did this happen? Did you leave the truck running? Is the truck damaged? Did you get hurt? etc. And yet, what comes out of my mouth is a very distinct "uhhh..." My morning articulation is not so great, I guess. He doesn't look amused.

I dash to the window to see if I can see the truck through the frosty pane, but no such luck! Disappointed, I zoom to the bedroom to grab my phone. Apparently, I am commenting and chuckling  out-loud to myself, as I zigzag through our flat, that I can't even see our vehicle through the frosted window.

"You don't NEED to see it!" He informs me, perturbed. I can tell he is growing more agitated as he watches me ramble through the apartment. "You NEED to call your DAD!"

"I am GOING to call my dad!" I retort. Then, trying to calm my tone of voice to assuage his irritation (and probably not succeeding on either front), I add, "I'm trying to find my phone!" Of course, he points out that it is on the floor next to the sofa, where I was seated when the whole incident began. Apparently, my morning cognizance is not so great either.

I call Dad. Straight to voicemail.

I call Mom. Riiiiiinnng. Pause. Riiiiiinnng. Pause.

I can feel my husband's level of frustration escalating.

Riiiiiinnng.  Pause.

Wow. Maybe Mom won't answer either. I think to myself.

I try to push the thought out of my mind; I cannot even look at my husband at this point.

Riiiiiiinn--"Hello?" On the fourth ring, she answers. Phew! I begin with: "No one has sustained any bodily harm." I know that this will be her first inclination when she sees the early hour at which I am calling. We make arrangements. My dad's truck is a diesel, so it must warm up. He will be there in 10 minutes. More time for intensifying anxiety levels.

I throw a coat on over my pajamas, and we go out to see the truck, entangled in bramble bushes and trees. Six inches to the right and it would have careened into our neighbor's car on its plunge into the depths of the ditch. I am still pretty much speechless.

We come back inside, and I ask my husband if he has called his supervisor yet. He can't find her phone number. I tell him that I don't think it has migrated too far, and he finds it almost instantaneously. He calls. It's the wrong number. But, thankfully, the person he speaks with also works with the same company and has her new number. He calls and leaves her a message.

Finally, Dad arrives and rescues the truck, in time for hubby to be only 15 minutes late for work. Not too bad, considering.

Through all of the excitement, even though I was half awake, I was really trying to mind my attitude. Well, at least once I realized I was being snappy and that wasn't going to improve matters. In reality, no one was hurt. Our truck did not crash into the neighbor's car (praise the Lord!). And, other than having to ask my dad to come over before 6 a.m. and trying to help my husband get in touch with his supervisor, nothing major was asked of me. So what would be the point in getting upset?

I have lately been working on my attitude. I come from a long line of pessimism, but I do not believe that is how God wants us to live. In fact, 1 Peter 5:8 says:

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

I don't know about you, but my pessimistic attitude can also be a roaring lion, screaming for its way within me. Situations like mine this morning can bring out the worst in us if we give in to the flesh. We need to be vigilant in keeping our attitudes in check. Adversities do not normally arise when we are "ready" or "in the right frame of mind." They usually happen when we are tired or cranky or predisposed to making sinful choices. But we still have to choose the right thing. In my case, that means choosing the right attitude of sobriety and not pessimism (or smart-mouthing, my other fleshly default mode). 

I hope that you have had a peaceful morning in the Word, free of any personal brambles or ditches that would hold you back from the fullness of it. And if you have any tips or verses about having the right attitude, feel free to share!

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