From Grumbling to Grateful in the Blink of an Eye

Sharon JaynesA Sudden Glory, General Inspiration, Living Fully, Power of Words 11 Comments

“Do everything without grumbling and arguing,” (Philippians 2:14 NIV)

Monday I issued a challenge for you to wear a rubber-band around your wrist and pop it every time you grumbled or complained. Here are just a few of the pictures I received of brave souls who took me up on the challenge! I’m so proud of you!

Now let’s talk about how to go from grumbling to grateful in the blink of an eye.

Gratitude can change your perspective on the simplest of mundane tasks and transform them into moments of sudden glory where you experience God’s presence in an intimate way. One day I was mopping the kitchen floor and my mood was anything but grateful. I grumbled with each push of the mop. Complained with each dip in the bucket. Here I am mopping this floor again and no one even appreciates it. I feel like this housework is never finished. Clean today. Dirty tomorrow. Why do I even bother?

Then right in the middle of the kitchen, God showed up. Actually, He was there all along, but my grumbling blinded the eyes of my heart to recognize His presence. New thoughts began to emerge as I pushed the mop across the linoleum floor. I believe God put them there.

Suppose you were blind and you couldn’t see the beautiful patterns on the linoleum floor or the spilled juice by the refrigerator door. Suppose you were deaf and you couldn’t hear the soothing sound of the soap bubbles dissolving in the bucket or the rhythmic sound of the mop being pushed back and forth across the floor’s hard surface. Suppose you were in a wheel chair and you weren’t strong enough to stand upright and grasp the wooden handle in your nimble hands to erase the muddy footprints and make the floor shiny and clean again. Suppose you didn’t have a home or a family to clean up after.

Suddenly, my grumbling turned into a song of praise and gratitude. “Thank You, Lord, for the privilege of mopping this dirty floor. Thank You for the health and strength to hold this mop in my strong hands and to wrap my agile fingers around its handle. Thank You for the sight to see the crumbs, the dirt, and the spilled juice. Thank You for the sense of smell to enjoy the clean, fresh scent of the soap in my bucket. Thank You for the many precious feet that will walk through this room and dirty it all up again. And Lord, thank You for the privilege of having a floor to mop and a family to clean up after.

A sudden glory!

Let’s Pray
Lord, I thank You for dirty clothes, muddy shoes, messy rooms, a dusty house, tired legs, aching knees, and taxes. I thank You that I have clothes, shoes, a room to make a mess in, a house to get dirty, legs that work, knees that bend and a free country in which I can pay taxes.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What do you think? 

Check out the Amplified Bible’s translation of Philippians 2:14: “Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves]…

Why do you think the Amplified included [against God]?

What did Moses say to the Israelites about who they were grumbling against? Exodus 16:8

If you are a Pinterest pinner, check out my pins on my Facebook page today. Consider printing it out and making a warning sign for your home!

Want More?

Seeing God through the lens of gratitude and grace is one of the themes of my book,

 

 


 

 




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Comments 11

  1. Praise the Lord for your Devotions every morning! and I just love the rubberband challenge photo…God Bless you today and everyday!

  2. This article is AMAZING! I want to see your quote, about this, but I cannot figure out how to use facebook to see your pinterest pins! What is the quote? I’d like to print it out and post in my home.

  3. Hi Sharon: Your devotion this morning really made me stop and think. I didn’t realize how much I grumble. I don’t do it as much as before but now that you mention it I probably grumble more that I know. I’m sure glad God is forgiving.

  4. Okay, I’ll admit it. When I saw the opening verse of your devotion, I snorted in laughter. I’m in a grumbly mood today. More fearfully than wonderfully made.

    Thank you so much for reminding me that I have so much to thank God for. For a job that I’m good at. For a teenage daughter who is smart and funny and totally normal. For a husband who works hard and does his best to be caring and compassionate, even when I’m totally confusing.

  5. I love this post from grumbling to grateful. The same thing happened to me only I was washing dishes! I was mad and frustrated and slamming dishes. So tired of the endless work and the Lord convicted me that at least I have a family to clean up for. At least I am physically able to do the job. Then I was crying and praising God and suddenly the work turned from a chore to a time of personal fellowship with my Jesus! He has to re remind me of this I am afraid! Thanks for sharing Sharon!

  6. I love this and I needed to read this today. I have been struggling with this and this was an eye opener for me. When I wash my kitchen floor it will be in Praise!!

  7. Wow what a reminder for me right now in my life as mother and grandmother and greatgrandmother…..I really needed this reminder! Thank you! Right now I have all 3 generations her at home living with my husband and I. We are retired and have forgotten what is it like to spend a quiet time at home just talking and giggling with each other! Anyone have any suggestions? We have tired everything we can think off and we are praying for a miracle …..they need to move out! We want our life back! Thought I am 65 years old I want to romance! I am not a complainer nor do I ever grumble about stuff I just do! I was brought up that way! but the last two day I told my oldest grandson! I was tired of cooking big meals, then that same day I told my husband and grandaughter I don’t want to be Cinderella anymore! Because I don’t get to go anywhere any more! The Lord spoke to me right away after that in the evening that all I do must be done as unto the Lord even the practical things of every day living! then I read your devotional! I say Amen! Thank you!

  8. Grumbling never stops. It continues when we do the cleaning of the house, or it does not matter when we do the simplest thing we have to do. But if we notice what we possess, what we have changing from our wholistic physical qualities plus five senses, we understand better that we are able to perfom many task and stop grumbling one instant. Good work of yours, a wonderful piece of writing. Thank you for not grumbling while you were writing this written material

  9. Praise be to God. Reading your approach, it leaves me questioning how close am I to my Lord, Why? Coz thats what to me ‘walking with the Lord is’

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