Learning to be grateful and not grumpy

I can't keep the desolation and destruction out of my mind. I tell myself that I should be grateful. My stomach though churns whenever I look at the news. I can't help thinking about how very blessed I am or wondering how I would react if it was my place that the wind tore away. I pray for all the families and towns that are affected by the spate of tornadoes that literally tore people's lives to shreds. Yet I know the Lord is in this too. He has a plan here. He knows that we shouldn't hold onto things so tightly that we lose perspective on the things that are important in our lives.

We need to learn daily the lessons of being grateful and put down the feelings of grumpiness that seep into our lives. We should be joyful, not depressed. It is hard, I know, to learn those lessons. Most of the time we take things for granted until something happens that shakes our world. I know my world has been shaken these past two years as I've struggled with family health issues and financial issues due to a loss of income.

I can't go back to what I was before. I tried. I need to find some other sources of income soon. If I let myself get discouraged about the slowness of the research, I'm not helping myself to achieve my goals of financial stability and accountability. I'm also not following the Lord's lead if I don't step out in faith believing that he'll continue to provide for me. I can't go back. I must move forward in God's love, and open up my heart to others so that they can see the Lord in me. I do pray that this is the case. I want others to see the Lord in me and want to know him. If I succumb to the darkness or surrender to the "pity party" that some have when everything doesn't go their way....what message am I sending?

We need to let go of the bitterness that so easily entangles us in its web of deceit and lies. God is able to absorb and do away with the anger and frustration that so easily besets us. I know that I do still get frustrated and angry. I long to be able to say that I'm financially independent...I know a lot of us do...Yet this is a trap. We must learn to depend on God and reach out to others.