Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Attitude Check!

Back in my high school cheerleading days, there was a cheer that I totally loved (see, I say cheerleading and I revert back to my old valley girl self!)....  The cheer is maybe a little irreverant but I loooved it:

"Attitude check, baby, how do you feel?"....

"I feel good, oh I feel so good!  Huh!"

That is me right now - needing a MAJOR attitude check.  I have spent about the last four weeks seeing my circumstances determine the direction of my heart.... Now, I must say, this has been one rough month for us at the DeMaio house.  First, the attack and death of our sweet doggy Chloe - then last week we went to pick up our boat from our friends' dock only to find that a Beaver had made his home in our boat and torn it to shreds for the last 6 weeks (and the best part is that our insurance had a "vermin" clause so they won't give us a dime)..  Add to that the fact that I feel like I am not doing the homeschooling thing with excellence right now, or the homemaker thing well, or the children's ministry director thing well... OK, so you get the picture.

The thing is, as I moped and grumbled to God while driving around today, the Holy Spirit prodded my heart like a cattle prod.  I realized that as I sat and complained that it was ALL about my circumstances - and since WHEN did God want me to walk around with my head in the sand?  He wants me to look to HIM and do all things with a thankful heart.  And then I remembered that cheer (weird how the Holy Spirit works sometimes isn't it?... What?  He doesn't talk to you through chants and cheers?  Hmm.)

And then I remembered 2 songs that I sang in a choir back in college that stuck like glue to my soul:

One says "Why so downcast oh my soul?  Put your hope in God.  Put your hope in God.  Put your hope in God.  Oh, why so downcast oh my soul?  Put your hope in God and bless the Lord oh my soul."

Another way to say that would be "Quit your grumbling, get out of yourself and trust Me!"

The second song says, "You've turned my mourning into dancing again.  You've lifted my sorrow.  I can't stay silent.  I must sing for my Lord has come!"

Here's the part where you all think, "I think she's really lost it!"... Tonight, after confessing my ungrateful heart to Jesus and thanking Him for meeting me where I was at, I got up from my office chair and did that cheer - yeah, I really did.  And, yeah, it was silly but somehow I know when I act like a cheering, dancing fool, God is speaking and I am grateful.

1 comment:

  1. Heidi, I can still hear Al Clift singing that too! Thanks for your great post...I can really relate today. Thanks for the reminder...hugs, friend!--Amanda Huffman (Hayden)

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