How could anyone ever complain about a week like this toward the end of October! Beautiful sunshine every day – temperatures start in low 40’s but get way above normal by mid-day – full moon and meteor showers at night. I know today’s forecast is not that great, but this one day of possible rain is to be followed by a dry weekend of seasonal temperatures. Like I said, how could anyone ever complain about a week like this?
Well, how about me? Our garage door has been making a loud noise when opening for what seems like forever. But somewhere between Monday night and Tuesday morning things changed – for the worse. The door opened about two feet, refused to go any further, and then went back down to the cement. Over and over it would go when I pressed the button, with no different results. Until one time I finally coaxed it to open all the way. Tuesday night and Wednesday morning were the same, so on Wednesday evening I decided to leave both vehicles in the driveway and call our “garage door guy.”
Grrrrr!!! I don’t like leaving our vehicles outside overnight – especially when it will be raining in the morning. I don’t like the inconvenience of having to exit through our front door instead of simply going through the laundry room into the garage. I don’t like the inconvenience of having to call a repairman. Grrrrrage Door!
Is the cup half full or half empty? I was able to speak with “our man”. After a couple texts he confirmed that we have two broken springs. He will be out mid-morning today to replace them. I guess the cost will determine the answer to the question. I am pleased that we should have to park outside only one night, but it is the one night this week that rain is forecasted! Grrrrr!
So, what makes you say, “Grrrrr?” Is it more or less than a noisy garage door with broken springs? And, what is the direction in which your mind is headed when you say, “Grrrrr?” Are we hearing the sound of your teeth grinding in anger and frustration, or are you lining up with Tony the Tiger and about to say, “Grrrrreat!”?
Somewhere between parking our vehicles outside for the night and this morning I got flagged by the Almighty. He told me to stop grinding my teeth and to remember the words I had shared eight times in eight different locations the day before. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. … The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103.1-5, 8-12)
Or, in other words, “Grrrrreat is the Lord, and grrrrreatly to be praised, and his grrrrreatness is unsearchable.” (Psalm 145.3) – even as our grrrrrrage door fails!
While I am not singing about sunshine and lollipops today, my song isn’t about rainy days and broken garage doors bringing my down. My cup is neither half empty nor half full. Neither is yours. We have been given the same cup as David so many centuries ago … our cups “overflow, for surely goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23.5-6) Now, if I can still have this attitude after I see the bill from “our guy”!