Do You "Have" To or "Get" To??

DS was a sight to see when he got home from his first day "on the job" today. He wasn't tired, discouraged or frustrated. He was smiling, laughing, talking about all the new people he met, what he did while he was there and looking forward to the next shift he has to work..which is tomorrow.

I listened to him talk about all the "neat" equipment and how there was a certain way to bread the chicken and drop it in the oil (he's working at Zaxby's by the way....did I share what happened to his "job" at McDonald's??)...I listened to him talk about a guy he met who goes to a sister church. He was so excited to be working along side another Christian guy! He was so concerned about getting out into the work force and dealing with people who believed nothing like he does.

As he talked I found myself thinking if we could all have his attitude, how much better off we'd be.

He didn't care that he only worked 3½ hours. He was so thankful to just have a job.

He doesn't care that he's making minimum wage, he's just thankful to have a paycheck.

He doesn't care that his clothes were covered in flour and that his hands were covered in "chicken goo"..he's just thankful.

How many times have I found myself complaining about something that I need to be doing around the house instead of just being thankful that I can.

"Laundry again?? What is that...6 loads today??" My attitude should be..Laundry again?? How blessed I am to have a husband and children to wash laundry for. How blessed I am to have a washing machine in my laundry room instead of having to lug the wash to the laundromat. How blessed I am to have a dryer sitting beside it so I don't have to stand outside in 25º weather to hang it on the line. How blessed I am to be able to walk to the machine, get the laundry out and use my arms and hands to fold it up.

"Look at that sink full of dirty dishes! I just got the kitchen cleaned up and it's a mess again!" I should be saying, Thank You Father that I have a family to cook for and food to cook. Thank You for dishes to eat off of, and hot running water to clean them up when they get dirty. Thank you for the friends that drop by and the food that I can offer them while they're here.

"School books all over the house! Can't those kids put up anything??" Instead it should be..Thank You that I am blessed to homeschool my kids and be involved in everything in their lives. Thank You that my kids are still here with me to enjoy and watch and listen to and teach. Thank You for providing the monies needed to buy those books and supplies.

Thank You for the job my husband has that takes such good care of our family and through You supplies everything that I've mentioned in this post.

I heard an evangelist say one time that it's all in how we approach things. Do we say "I have to go to church" or "I get to go to church"? Do we say "I have to wash dishes" or "I get to wash dishes"? Do we say "I have to do laundry" or "I get to do laundry"?

Funny how changing one little word completely changes how we look at the whole picture.

So how about you?

Do you have to go do something, or do you get to??

Blessings.....