A long time ago, I decided to stop complaining about the weather, or so I thought. In jest, I continued to joke that in the Northwest we have two seasons, summer, and the rainy season. It really does rain nearly nine months of the year! But, that little bit of joking, ehm… is still a complaint.
Spring in Washington came late this year. It was unseasonably cold outside, about ten degrees cooler than average. This kept me in my down coat through April. I would cheer myself and say, The law of averages must come into play; it has to get nicer eventually. Now, here we are in May, and it’s 85 degrees today!
The glories of spring this month have made me eat my words. Spring burst forth in a grand crescendo. The alder, maple, beech … every dormant tree thrust their bright green leaves into the sky announcing their presence right before my eyes. I couldn’t help but marvel at their power and beauty. How can all this life happen all at once? The fragrance of cherry blossoms, lilacs, and Pieris waft in the air. If you stop to think about it, spring is mesmerizing.
After admiring it all, I felt a bit speechless–like Job. He admitted to God, “Surely, I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” (Job 4:3 NIV) Sorry, God. Me and my senseless complaints.
If my words came true and there were only two seasons, I would have missed SPRING!
Usually, the story we tell ourselves is partly true. There are plenty of bad things to focus on around us. But what if they don’t represent the whole picture? What if we’re focusing on what we don’t have, without any acknowledgment or gratitude for what we do possess? Even in the really bad times, there’s good, quietly existing right before our eyes.
In my most difficult season, I purposefully looked for the good around me and wrote it in a grateful journal. This daily routine kept my head above water.
Practicing our gratefuls is a wonderful habit to survive the dark times, and to experience a happy life. I didn’t say a perfect life, but a life we can enjoy, even when times are difficult. We can be grateful for others, for what we have, and for what we take for granted. Eventually, our minds will become full of wonderful thoughts, and every conversation sprinkled with gratitude—no matter the weather.
What good things have you overlooked lately? Have you let grumbling rob your joy?
Gratitude takes effort. But it’s worth it!
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
”