Monday Musings...

Have you ever been bit with the "Monday morning blahs"? Well, I woke up with a pretty severe case this morning. You might recognize the symptoms - irritability, a desire to live in denial (of the alarm clock going off!), tiredness (from staying up too late), feelings of despair (Will I ever learn?), and an overall grumpy demeanor. I didn't exactly feel like springing out of bed, especially because of what was the first thing on my schedule...exercise.

But, by God's grace, I sat up in bed, said a quick prayer for strength to do the right thing, and lay down and went back to sleep. Just kidding! :-) That's what I wanted to do, but I gathered up my things and quietly crept downstairs. It was dark...it was cold...(which are the perfect conditions for...well, what do you know?...SLEEPING!) and I didn't exactly feel like being there. However, I got changed, grabbed a glass of water and threw on my shoes, and stuck in the DVD. I knew there was no way that I'd be able to get on the treadmill this morning - I had no motivation at all! I needed someone to tell me exactly what to do, so I grabbed a difficult exercise DVD and had at it. I decided to just do it and get it over with. My attitude still hadn't improved much, but I was up and moving and focusing on more important things...like not passing out...lol (I've even been known to yell back at the trainer when they start down their "You can do it!" encouragement pep talks. This usually happens when I'm having a grumpy morning. Some days, I need to hear their encouraging words and appreciate it. But on days like today....I let them know, in no uncertain terms, that I do not wish to hear their encouragement and would like to see them actually doing the exercises with me. That would keep 'em quiet. Anyway, yes, I realize they can't hear me and that I'm just making sarcastic comments to the TV. But I like to pretend that they can. It's emotionally freeing, okay?)

So, I got through it this morning but my heart wasn't in it at all. I wanted to be anywhere but in the living room! And while I was in the shower after I finished, I was reminded of a verse that is quoted often and is one that I was taught as a young child, and a verse that I needed to apply to my life at that moment. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God". It was very obvious to me that I had not been "doing" for the glory of God this morning. I'd been "doing" for myself, which is why I was so grumpy and lacked motivation. When I look at doing a task for the purpose of glorifying God, my whole outlook changes. I would have pushed harder this morning and not given up so easily if I would have remembered that by dying to my flesh, I'm allowing Christ to have more control over my life, which results in God's glory. I needed to get my mind off of the fact that I was tired and focus on the fact that Jesus is my strength and that in His presence is fullness of joy!

I asked the Lord to forgive me for wasting a morning that He had made for me to love and serve Him by being a GIB (Grumpy, Irritable Blonde) and began to meditate on Scripture and simply focus on my Savior. It takes a conscience choice to do that! It doesn't just happen. There are so many different things that call for our attention, especially when we're getting up and ready for the day. But I'd encourage you - don't waste your time just "going through the motions". Make the most of the time that the Lord gives you! Don't be a GIB! (Blonde, brunette, black haired) or a GIR (redhead)!

Doing an "about-face" ~

Bekah