Sweat The Small Stuff

I'm sure many of you have heard of or even read the book, "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff". It's a good book and the message is helpful. However, my Father has impressed upon me today that I need to sweat a bit more about the 'small stuff' in my life. I hear Him clearly saying to me that I need to change my attitude about the little bumps in the road, the hiccups, the inconveniences. The other day, I wrote about grace under pressure. For me, it's easier to appear faithful and trusting and show grace when faced with a big problem. However, the true test of my character comes when I spill the milk when trying to fill a bottle, or when the dog starts barking at something outside and wakes up the baby, or when I don't get enough sleep. My usual reaction is to get angry, stomp around a bit, complain out loud, yell at the dog, and sometimes even blame God for not helping me with the little things that make life more troublesome. These are the small things that I need to sweat a bit more about. I want to have a Christ-like response to the tiny annoyances in my day. I want to behave like Christ is standing right next to me when that milk hits the floor. How would I act if He were physically standing next to me? Would I shout, would I curse, would I stomp? I doubt it. And yet, He is right there and I forget about His presence and I forget about His example and I ignore His voice. To be a woman of grace when no one is watching. To be a woman of patience when no one sees. To be a woman of Godly character in private. This is my lesson. This is part of this 'expedition' towards a positive, faithful, graceful life. As I crawl under my quilt tonight, I will sweat some of the small stuff in my life and ask Christ to help me make a change. I love Him and I want to offer up to Him the best that I have. And I want to remember that He is present, He is watching, He is listening. And I will thank God, He is loving me still!