Doing the dreaded

It never ceases to amaze me how God knows what I need to hear on a daily basis. From yesterday’s Jesus Calling to today’s message from Joyce Meyer.

I start the day reading Jesus Calling along with Joyce Meyer’s New Day, New You devotional.

In New Day, New You, today was about “Dread Drains, Faith Energizes”.
She discussed Psalm 55:22 and mentioned that dread is closely related to fear…mentioning how people dread things but don’t realize what a problem that is. She mentioned, going to work, doing dishes, paying bills, driving in traffic as some of the things people may dread.

She went on further to mention that how we approach any situation makes the difference in if we will enjoy it or be miserable because of it.

Now, again (this is so from God) she went on to mention “we will, of course, be miserable, if we approach driving to work in traffic with a negative, complaining attitude”.

I don’t have to drive to work since thankfully I work for myself; however, I do have to drive my daughter to and from school.

Here’s the view this morning trying to leave the school parking lot. Now, the school is only a few miles from me, yet it takes me nearly 40-45 mins round trip! (two times a day)

Joyce goes on to say, “It won’t do any good to be negative, or to complain because we must drive to work anyway. It’s actually extremely foolish to dread things we must do and know we will do. The main thing dread does is steal the peace and joy of life. It drains us of energy and strength we need for the day.”

She hit it spot on!

Do I have a choice or do I “have” to deal with traffic? Actually, in my case I do have a choice…I could (not in a million years would I though) let her ride the school bus to and from school. However, that’d be more dreadful for me than tolerating the traffic every morning and every afternoon. So, there’s no point in my getting upset about the time in traffic. I’ve actually improved my attitude on this (read that as I don’t scream as much at people who can’t hear me through closed windows when they don’t know how to drive as well as I do LOL).

I think the most dreadful part of the traffic is the fact that people throw common sense out the window and their one and only thought is that their child is more important than anyone else’s and their job they’re off to afterward is more important than what anyone else would need to do…because they just lack common courtesy of letting people in front of them who are also trying to leave the parking lot. As if that one car length is going to make some monumental difference, little do they realize that one kind gesture could totally make a difference in their life as well as the person they let in front of them. And, goodness forbid you are the one who does let a person leave in front of you…the people behind you may honk, scream their displeasure with you (to the blue PT Cruiser who was behind me this morning–this would be for you!) … but ignore them and go about your day, doing the nice right thing and be strong and just do the things you may dread but know you have to do anyhow and your day will be so much more peaceful. Trust me, I’ve learned (the hard way at times) from experience and it truly does make a difference through your whole day if you’re negative, complaining the whole time you do something that you’re going to have to do anyhow—so, just do it–and be cheerful about it…be glad you have a car to drive, a job to drive to, a child who has a school to go to, money to pay your bills, relatives you may dread seeing, etc.

Whatever you dread I’m sure you can put a positive light on it!