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Don’t get your panties in a wad…

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panties in a wad

For my female readers, I know you understand this statement:  “don’t get your panties in a wad”.  You know that it means–stop getting so upset over silly things.  It means to GET OVER IT!  Tis the season for getting our panties in a wad!  We have so much to get done this time of year.  Christmas is over, but yet there is still much to do.  Now we have to “un-decorate” the house, get the mess cleaned up, put away all the new things we received, get ready for New Year’s etc etc etc.  It’s easy for us to get frustrated and to lose focus on what really matters.

Life is hard!  On Christmas morning, as my kids were tearing through their packages, the victims in Connecticut continued to come to my mind.  I wondered how their families were doing.  I thought about the heartache they were experiencing and my heart ached for them.  I also wondered about a family in my hometown who was experiencing great loss this Christmas.  A family of three girls who’s 42 year old Daddy just died of a massive heart attack days before.  In my own humanity, I wondered how these families could open their presents and feel any sort of happiness on Christmas morning.  I thought about how different this Christmas was from last Christmas for those families.   As they shared Christmas 2011 together, they had no idea that Christmas 2012 would be full of such tragedy for their families and their community.  It made me think about the uncertainty of life.  I felt God nudge me about thankfulness.  I felt Him gently remind me that although this Christmas we were all healthy and accounted for, there was no guarantee of what was to be next Christmas.  It caused me to examine my heart as I felt Him urge me about being grateful.

I think the old saying is true, “you never know what you’ve got until it’s gone”.   We are a people who take things for granted.  We take our health for granted, we take our relationships for granted and we take life for granted.  We get our panties in a wad over the least little thing.  We allow the stress of this world to overshadow the blessings God has given to us, and honestly, sometimes we end up being miserable.  We feel this way because we lose our focus.  God desires for us to be people who have thankful hearts, even when things are not going our way.  He desires for us to be people who show mercy to others, even when others do not show us mercy.  He desires for us to be people who forgive and love even when others do not treat us this way.  I wonder if you feel frustrated today.  Maybe you feel overwhelmed because you have a lot you need to accomplish today.  Maybe there is a person in your life who is driving you crazy.  Maybe you are experiencing health or financial issues and you feel worried.  Do you know what the remedy is for these situations?  It’s gratefulness.  Gratefulness to God in all things, even the difficult things.  It’s hard to be stressed and miserable when you’re focused on being thankful.  Thankfulness is what helps us get focused on the things of God instead of the things of this life.  Life is short and you have no idea what is around the bend, so don’t get your panties in a wad.  Instead, choose to be thankful to God in all things.  Choose to be grateful right now!

Thanks for reading today!  ~Joy

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.     -Psalm 100

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1 Comment

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    Cassie
    at

    Thanks Joy! This is what I needed to be reminded of during this happy but stressful time ;)!

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