Sweet Spirits

This picture is so typical at our house. Several times a day Derek throws a fit about something that he wants but cannot have. We deal with him accordingly, but his will certainly is proving to be quite stubborn. The least little thing that goes wrong affects his spirit adversely.

I find that often the many "little" things that go wrong at my house threaten to upset my spirit, and sometimes even succeed. Little things like the little guy in the picture throwing his 5th fit in 5 minutes! Or, not being able to find even one spatula in the entire kitchen when I have pancakes ready to flip. Or, spending 10 minutes in the morning before school finding a lost article of clothing. "Little" things seem to add up quickly and test my spirit more than the "big" things that go wrong.

My husband made a statement in a churchwide staff meeting the other day that really spoke to my heart: The moment you engage in trying to control the circumstances that surround you, you disengage from trying to control your own spirit. I cannot control whether or not the baby is crying or how many times Derek throws a fit. The only thing I can do is to control my spirit in the midst of it all.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

Proverbs 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

There are so many good things that happen in my daily life that are worth focusing on!