Mercy and one-of-those-days...

"This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21

Ever have those moments when your irritable and your thoughts are nasty with a tinge of rage, frustration, and well... just plain angry? You feel as if nothing in your day has gone right. You feel out-of-sorts and not all that spiritual?

Well, if you are like me you have those days from time to time. If you are like me you wake up on the wrong side of the bed and your whole day feels out-of-kelter and well, just plain wrong.

Try this as I have. Stop whatever you are doing and find a quiet place. Maybe its at a desk. Maybe a little walk. Maybe its just a moment but stop and pray. Ask the Lord to forgive you. Yes, I'm saying take a big-person pill and then do the very opposite of what you feel... praise him.

Praise him for the great mercy he is showing you at that very moment. Praise him for the way things are, even when things are going really, really bad. Thank him for the grace to just pray... or thank him for this moment of 'time-out' that he's given you.

If you try that and do that from the heart and not just from your head you might just reset your attitude. And its probably your attitude as it often is mine that needs resetting.

"Father, sometimes I make a real mess of things with my poor attitude. I look around and I know that others see it or sense it but even more importantly, I know you see it and as my Father you can't be all that thrilled with my stinking-thinking. Help me and teach me to go to the corner and take a time-out and pray... I know that once there your mercy will renew my mind to do and act as you would have me"