I am not normally one to complain about the weather. I am one of the odd ones who actually enjoys a change in season. Since I joined a hiking group many years ago and embraced the idea of getting out to exercise in winter, I find I don’t have much sensitivity to cold now. I am more apt to be “freezing” sitting inside than venturing out. That being said, in the midst of this crazy Wisconsin winter, it has been difficult to resist the urge to complain. The extreme cold, snow and ice have made things challenging, so I admit to grumbling when I saw the forecast on Sunday evening.

I only work as a paralegal one day a week, but it just so happens most of our major weather events have occurred on that day. My commute is 40 minutes in good weather with normal traffic. Throw in a significant snow total and I imagine doubling that would not be outside the realm of possibility. I am my worst self when I am behind the wheel, so the idea of more than an hour in the car does not sit well with me.
It’s embarrassing, but worth noting that my complaints were completely unnecessary because I have a very understanding boss and as my husband quickly reminded me, I didn’t have to go to work. All I needed to do was send a quick text to ask if I could switch my day to Thursday and that was that. So, why did I complain? Why do any of us complain?

We live in a place where we enjoy freedoms and privileges many in the world would give up anything to have, yet as a country, we seem to do a lot of complaining. We rush to judgment and complain about being offended by everything. It seems we can no longer tolerate differing opinions but prefer to label people who disagree as hateful, racist,  bigoted….the list goes on and on. It seems we have become intent on being miserable no matter what the circumstance. Why has it become so hard to simply live in a state of joy, appreciating what we have instead of focusing on what we don’t?

I could have focused on how blessed I am to only work outside the home one day a week and the fact that I have the flexibility to change that day easily. Others have to go to work no matter what the weather, still others are struggling even more because they are out of work, so what did I have to complain about? Absolutely nothing, but sadly it didn’t stop me. I had to admit that my complaining came down to pure selfishness. Switching my day at work meant I had to give up other things, which I didn’t want to do.

Then I remembered a message I listened to recently by one of my favorite preachers, Pastor James MacDonald of Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago about complaining.  The sermon centered around the Israelites, who despite being led out of captivity in Egypt against what seemed like insurmountable odds and being provided for in the desert, eventually gave in to complaining.   Instead of trusting God to continue to provide for them, they actually began to believe they would have been better off had they remained enslaved in Egypt. Hindsight, of course, gives us the wisdom to see this as foolishness, but how often do we fall into the same trap?

Pastor James also shared the following quote he first heard from Pastor Chuck Swindoll. “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you deal with it.”  Believe it or not, we have a choice each and everyday. We can wake up and count our blessings or we can focus on what we feel is lacking in our lives and complain. We can dread going to work in the snow and cold, or be thankful we are employed. We can be offended and hold grudges, or we can choose to forgive. We can look outside our own selfish wants and desires and seek the greater good. With Christ’s help, we can choose joy.

That’s why I vow to keep following. One day at a time.