One of the things I am working on focusing on for Lent is to give up the "need" or desire I feel sometimes to be too critical or to complain and grumble when I am not happy with circumstances.  I guess I am thinking if God's plan for my life is unfolding and He is never surprised by what I encounter, then all of my circumstances are a part of His plan because they all are purposed for me.  Each moment I walk into has a need and I have, because of the victorious power of Jesus, the answer to the need of every moment.  I can choose to offer myself through Christ as a remedy or I can try to go it alone and often suffer for that decision because there is such weakness of heart and mind in my humanness. 

My daughter, Karly, has been struggling with attitudes of negativity.  There are a lot of "I don't want to", "why do I have to", "I don't like this", "I can't be good"....and we have talked on multiple occasions about the fact that we all have to determine to see the positive in each situation, choose to do the right thing even when we don't want to, and above all make every effort to honor Christ. I have been praying for her in these ways because it hasn't seemed like my words were making a difference.  Yesterday, when I picked her up after school, she said, "Mom, we watched a video today and I cried a lot.  There was a boy who was born without a leg and his father left him and his mom died when he was young.  He had to try to live on his own and he decided he would do it and he wouldn't complain about his life.".....then she started crying in the car and said, "I'm not going to complain anymore".....isn't it amazing when we see an answer to prayer happen right in front of our eyes :)  So happy to know that this video would impact her in the exact ways I was praying for her mind and heart.  And, moments like these work on my heart as well.

Do Everything Without Grumbling

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[a] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.