Ahhh…CHOO! Ahhh….CHOO! Ahhh…..CHOO!
This is what I’ve been doing for the past 6 days….sneezing…sneezing…..sneezing. For the first time in a very long time, my allergies seem to be getting the best of me. My eyes are itching and watering. I’ve had to remove my contact lens and don’t even have glasses. So, basically, I can’t see either.
And, probably even more annoying, is that I’m cranky. Not gonna lie…I’m irritable. it caught up with me this morning when, after a flurry of about a dozen sneezes, I just yelled out in frustration…..AGGGGHHHHHHH!
Then, I caught myself. And I felt convicted. I realized that I had actually probably done this to myself. I was allowing something that irritates me to get the best of me. And I had done it to myself.
Last week, on a beautiful very windy day, I CHOSE to cut the grass. I like to use a push mower and spent several hours pushing it all around our place…mowing, and mowing, and mowing. It felt good to exert that energy. It felt good to get that exercise. And it felt great to see the end result of a neatly manicured acre of lawn. Even the very strong wind felt good on my face and then on my back and I pushed that mower back and forth.
When it was done, I sat on a swing overlooking the beautiful job I had just completed, watching a beautiful sunset, and felt a sense of accomplishment and contentment.
And then it started…..the sneezing! And it went on and on and on. I must have sneezed over a 100 times within 30 minutes. I can’t even count how many times I’ve sneezed over the past 6 days. I’ve gone through an entire box of tissues endlessly blowing my nose.
But this morning, I realized that I had CHOSEN to do that which became a huge irritant to me. And I was CHOOSING how I would respond it. I was allowing something as simple as a sneezing and itchy, watery eyes, to DICTATE MY ATTITUDE!
So this day, my friends, I encourage you to be aware of those things that irritate you and be very aware of how you choose to respond to those irritants. Our choices matter in the face of small adversities. Our attitudes can become contagious to those around us.
Today, I stand convicted. It’s not a bad thing. Because, now, I will make a better choice regarding my attitude…..even while sneezing. Ahhh…..CHOO!