Spoiled Milk

You know those days when they start out with one thing and then it kind of snowballs.... 

 Well, this morning was that kind of Monday morning. I woke up super sleepy (call it the Superbowl's fault or blame it on a new routine of Saturday classes and not getting that extra day of rest...). Whatever the case, it definitely felt like a Monday morning to me. However,  I got up as I typically do, ahead of the others, to  have my quiet time with my coffee. At 5:45 I prepared for my run and set out on that. 

 It was definitely a Monday kind of run... sluggish and maybe even slightly discouraging because of the sloth-like feeling I was expereincing. However, I maintained positivity by saying to myself "At least I'm out here..." 

 When I returned home, I grabbed a quick shower and then went searching for a bit of breakfast to quiet the growl in my stomach that was already speaking to me in its efforts to fill the hunger gap in lieu of (trying to) eat keto"ish" recently. Not die hard, but enough so that I definitely am craving the chocolates!  I settled on a bowl of cereal, as I didn't feel like eating eggs again. I do enjoy cereal, I just don't usually feel satisfied for too long with it, so I don't allow that to be my meal too often.  I poured my cereal, looking forward to the oat squares in my bowl. I took one bite and spit it out... 

 

What disapointment (and disgust!) to find out that the milk was spoiled and had totally ruined the bowl of cereal... which happened to be the last bit of the box. I was left wtih a terrible taste in my mouth that neither toothpaste nor my second cup of coffee could erase. On top of that, to make it worse, as I looked in the fridge, I discovered my 15 yr. old son had already opened the new milk ( because he'd discovered the old one was bad!) and had not thrown out the bad milk! That is atypical of him, but just played into this beautiful Monday start.  

  Some days are just like that. A rough start, followed by more irritating things that interrupt the desire to remain positive. I could totally be annoyed and grumpy about all of the above things, and I kind of want to be in some ways, but where will that get me? Only to a more grumpy place. Being positive in the midst of struggle is a challenge. I do this super well for others, but not often for my own self and I am working to change this. 

    James 1:2-4 says "Dear borthers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurances is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." 

   No one likes that verse really, I don't think, because we don't want to see our troubles as a way of growing us. Troubles hurt. They are annoying. They bring pain or frustration. But they also have the ability to make us better, stronger.... If we let them. If we allow the endurance to grow us, it will reshape us into a new perspective. We will learn ourselves better, we will learn Jesus better, we will learn those around us a little better. But... yes, it kind of stinks in the process. 

 Now, a bit of spoiled milk and a sluggish run doesn't make for a lot of "trouble" honestly. However, it does carry my perspective to the right place for the real world struggles I do face. The friendships I need to let go. The tough words I may need to say. The boundaries needed to be put up. The evaluation of the hurts that need to be released- i.e. forgivness to offer, whether asked for or not. Pushing through rejection. Accpeting "no" or learning to say it myself. The every day choices we have to make that can shape us into being stronger and better but at times can be excrutiatingly difficult. Those are the real-world perspectives that spoiled milk make me reflect upon in my steps of growth to endure in new ways. 

 I left the house without really eating breakfast, kind of stewing on the gross bad taste left in my mouth. However, God has used that bad taste to remind me where my perspective needs to be and what He is working to do (with such patience with me) to remind me to renew my mind... change my attitude... let the difficulties reshape me and put on my positivity.

 So, I didn't get my cereal, but thank goodness for coffee ;) . I didn't get in a speedy run, but I'm thankful I dragged myself out to do something. I drank a bit of spoiled milk, but there's a new carton ready in the fridge. I have many blessings to count as I go into this rocky start to a Monday. I will focus on those and the process which is being done at this point from the inside out and choose joy and laughter.  After all... the story is kind of funny (now).