Whining . . .

Nope, I'm not talking about any of my children--the big ones or the little ones, or my husband for that matter. It's me. I'm the whiner and I'm not proud.

I was at the park near our home this evening, talking with a neighbor who I just recently met. She lives next door to the park. We had just gotten there, me pulling Teddi in the wagon and Brogan on his bike . . . which he had just run over my sandled foot with. Okay, he didn't actually run completely over it, but it kind of hurt . . . and I made a fuss to my new friend about how my day was kind of going down hill, wah, wah, wah. I whined.

My new friend proceeded to tell me that she had had a tough day. . . . a rough week. Her friend's nine month old baby had been the victim of a drowning after falling into an older sibling's yet undrained tub water. This baby girl had fought for her life for five days, but this morning went to be with Jesus. A little sister to five older siblings, a family's precious love, gone. And I was whining.

This mama whom I was speaking with has six little ones of her own, and a military husband who is away right now, in her words "just" for six weeks. She has spent the past five days ministering to a family in crisis, now in mourning. And I was whining to her. Oh me.

Of course as soon as our conversation ended, I began a conversation with myself (and the Lord) about what I really didn't have to whine about. I have so much to be thankful for . . . so very much. Yes, Brogan had run over my foot--but it certainly wasn't a cause for calling my day "downhill". It had actually been a pretty good day, for us.

Tonight as I filled Brogan and Teddi's little cups with milk to go with their bedtime snack, God spoke gently to my heart, "Don't cry over spilled milk."

I was given the chance to be an encouragement this evening at the park to someone who had had a really tough day. I could have done it easily with a smile and a caring, "How are you?" Instead I fussed. I whined. I cried over spilled milk.

The good news is, His mercies are new every morning! Tomorrow is a new day. Lord please forgive my whining, and remind me to smile when I'm tempted to fuss. Amen.

Life is a lesson, some days I do better than others. Today, not so much. Tomorrow I will try to do better.

Blessings from my "thankful for His grace" nest~

Tina