The reason you haven't seen these multiple rants on my mind this week is that I've decided to really try to focus on the good things. Admittedly, I still have a couple of people that I talk through my Haylee-rage with (they know I'm not a natural Pollyanna), but as far as public displays of my less-than-productive opinions, I feel like I've learned to just shut up and let it go. Stepping up in front of everyone to say "THIS SUCKS," even if it's true, does nothing to make the world a better place. It might make you feel better for a moment- like having a few beers at the end of a hard day. But like winter for Westeros, brace yourselves...HANGOVER IS COMING.
We tend to poison our own surroundings with negativity when we consistently broadcast it. Then it comes back to us tenfold because it is in the very air we breathe. What flows out of us so easily tends to choke us when it comes back. I can rant and rave and complain and feel perfectly righteous about it, but every time I see it from someone else, the needless ugliness is completely glaring and offensive to me. Why would my own negativity be anything else? Yeah, I'm still working on getting that plank out of my eye.
I used to be a "you know what I hate?" person. I can't tell you how often I had this exact phrase come out of my mouth or flow through my typing fingers. I want to be a "you know what's amazing?" type of person. Ephesians 4:29 tells us just to do just that..."Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
Can you honestly say that all the words coming out of your mouth (literally and figuratively) build people up or benefit them? I can't. So today, and likely for many days to come, I'll continue to ask for help on taming that beast (hint: the beast is me).
"Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." (Psalm 141:3)
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