Choosing Joy

Today was a better day. We’ve had a nasty stomach bug creeping around our home for a month now. Presently, Larry is taking it on for team Gilbreath. He does well to be sick without complaining. He’s sweet like that.

So I have tried to keep the kids out of the house for the past two days so Larry could stay home and rest. Thankfully, the weather has been nice. So we’ve been at the park, enjoying the outdoors. The fresh air and a new perspective have helped improve a lot, not only in our home, but in my mind.

After a sweet talk and some encouraging words from a friend last night, I realized I was allowing myself to succumb to anger too easily. Somewhere along the past few weeks of illness, I have allowed myself to be the angry mom. And if I’m honest with myself, I’ve been angry a lot longer than these past few weeks.

I’ve always wanted to be a mother like Michelle Duggar, from 19 kids and Counting. She is always calm and seems to be in control of her actions and words. I’m just not like that! And then I realized. I’m not supposed to be. I’m not her, I’m me. But I don’t like being an angry me. That’s no fun either.

Anyways, my friend shared with me how she was choosing Joy. Hmmm….. I thought, choosing joy. I should give that a try. So I did. I woke up this morning telling myself I would be joyful and calm today. And I Was. I got frustrated a couple of times with the kids, but I decided that I wasn’t going to get angry; I was going to choose to be calm, I chose to speak calmly. I chose to give grace and “do overs” to my children. And you know what…..? We didn’t have any fits or tantrums today. Me or the kids :)

You’ve gotta understand that fits and tantrums have been the way of life here for the past few weeks. It’s been a trying time! Do my children have a long way to go in learning how to act and behave? Sure they do. But then SO DO I! This has been a great lesson in accountability to my actions and seeing the reflection of those actions on my children.

And I realize that this was just one day. But I am hoping it is the start to a new attitude in our home. It will start with me and be picked up by the kids. And I pray we will all Choose Joy.