Get A Grip on Grumbling
I was answering some questions from a "Conversation Starters with Kids" book the other day. One of the questions was if you were going to make a New Year's resolution today, what would it be? My answer was to not speak an unkind or negative word the next year. (Rest of my life.) Never grumble.
While traveling with some youngsters recently we encountered three stops due to road construction.
Being the daughter of a road builder I have a different perspective on road construction. It meant jobs for my father and his employees, so I always saw it as a good thing. The young ladies with me, saw it as a major inconvenience. They grumbled, grumbled, grumbled. Sitting there, I grabbed my camera and said, "I'm going to make the most of this time. Look at those beautiful wild flowers."
It didn't change their mood, because they weren't invested.
On the return trip a couple days later I said, "Let's spread joy to the flagmen on the road job sites!" We took bags of popcorn and handed them out the window to the flagmen and said, "Stay safe! Jesus loves you." We got a grip on our grumbling and turned it into joy! The smiles we received from these workmen were contagious and the girls were hoping we'd be stopped again! One said, "It feels good to do that." We have a new tradition when traveling together!
Get a grip on grumbling! Spread joy!
"Be joyful always." 1 Thessalonians 5:16
It didn't change their mood, because they weren't invested.
On the return trip a couple days later I said, "Let's spread joy to the flagmen on the road job sites!" We took bags of popcorn and handed them out the window to the flagmen and said, "Stay safe! Jesus loves you." We got a grip on our grumbling and turned it into joy! The smiles we received from these workmen were contagious and the girls were hoping we'd be stopped again! One said, "It feels good to do that." We have a new tradition when traveling together!
Get a grip on grumbling! Spread joy!
"Be joyful always." 1 Thessalonians 5:16
