Stinky or Sweet? You Choose!

 Sometimes my attitude just stinks! I mean, I have changed quite a few gag-worthy diapers in my five-and-a-half months as a parent, and I'm sure there will be MANY more to come (if what I hear is accurate, it will just get worse...oh joy) but I digress. My stinky attitude is far worse than any poopy diaper I may encounter. When I have a bad attitude, it tends to stink up the whole room. It doesn't just affect me, it affects my spouse, my kids, and even the innocent bystanders who happen to be waiting in line in front of me at Walmart or handing me my change at Starbucks.

Its like the pay-it-forward affect, only opposite. Instead of encouraging others to do good deeds and spread joy, I infect them with grumpiness and send them out to infect others around them. It is not exactly how I want to portray Jesus, because I'm pretty sure he didn't have that kind of attitude. And it is not how I want to portray myself either, because I think of myself as a fun-loving and positive person most of the time. But bad attitudes tend to override whatever good we think we are doing, and not only make others crinkle up their nose but lessen our ability to do the good we want to do.

I want my attitude to submit to me, not the other way around. So I have to make that choice, when I feel grumpiness sneaking up on me, to see the glass half-full and be thankful in all things. Because I find that when I drown my bad attitude with thankfulness it usually can't survive. I might have to keep doing this all day, but in the end the work is worth it because not only does my family and community win, but I win too. Because who wants to be covered in the stink of their own bad attitude all day? I, for one, would rather be sweetened by a thankful spirit.