I woke up in a good mood ready to face the day. Mr. Small Town was home and we would all go to church together. I loved these kinds of Sundays.
I did part of my morning routine which consists of reading the morning news on-line, checking emails, and checking Facebook. It was all good, up until I checked Facebook. I read a post that irritated me. Next, the Kid emphatically decided that he didn’t want to go to church – another irritation. Then, my hair just didn’t look right – irritation number 3. You guessed it – I let Mr. Small Town and the Kid know how irritated I was. (You can use your imagination here!)
Eventually, a calm Mr. Small Town coaxed the Kid into getting ready and into the car, my hair turned out somewhat presentable, and we were on our way to church.
About a quarter of a mile away from the house, guilt and remorse hit me like a ton of bricks. I apologized to the two of them for losing my cool and told them that I was fighting negative self talk.
From the backseat I heard the Kid say, “Just stop it, Mom! If you start talking negative to yourself, I’ll start talking negative to myself, and dad will start talking negative to himself. It will be just an awful day! You’re a good mom so just stop the negative talk!”
You can imagine the shocked look on my face. How did he get such wisdom and knowledge?!? We all laughed and I said thank you to the Kid. When we arrived to church, confession and forgiveness abounded and life was much better.
The Kid was right. Negative self talk is never good. It doesn’t bring about change. It brings about irritability and isolation. He knew that and he wanted to remind me too.
What negative thought behaviors have you been doing? When are you the most susceptible to the behavior? What are some triggers that lead you to negative thought behavior? How does it affect your life and those around you? Who is affected the most by your negative behavior? Are you willing to change it?
God used the Kid in my life to point out my flawed thinking. Who will God use in your life? Be sure to listen because it might just save you from a negative day.
Blessings to you my friends,
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