Hot Enough For You?

Yes it’s hot!

Here in middle Tennessee we’ve had several consecutive days of temperatures going well over 100 degrees. In fact, we broke records over the weekend with temperatures of 109.

We also set records for the number of people sharing pictures of their car mirror or dashboard thermometer readings on Facebook or smartphone cameras.

The hot weather makes me realize just how much I take for granted in life. Cool air-conditioning, cold water anytime I want it, a house where the temperature is comfortable day and night as examples. . As I write this I am sitting in my air-conditioned office wearing jeans and a golf shirt while sipping an ice cold Diet Coke.

All things I just take for granted or don’t really think much about at all normally. 

And yet I find it so easy to focus on the negative aspect of the heat instead.

I complain about how hot it is in the car. (Before I turn the A/C on for the trip.) 

I complain that it is too hot to go outside. (As I get a bowl of sugar free ice cream and flip on a ballgame to watch on TV.)

I complain that the grass in the yard is dying. ( I won’t have to mow. 

I complain that I no longer live in a house with a pool. (OK, I’m still begrudged about that one.)

It’s easy to do that about my son as well. When I let myself go the dark-side, I get obsessed with negativity about his situation.

I start dwelling on negative thoughts like:

“He will never drive a car.”

“He will never say a word or speak."

“I’ll have to help him eat and drink his whole life.”

“He will live with us his whole life and never leave the nest.”

“He will never give us grandchildren.”

Just like the heat, there will always be something negative to fixate on and grumble about. 

So I have a choice. I can’t control the heat. I don’t get to determine the weather each day.

I can’t control this either. I didn’t determine this path for my life and I can’t alter God’s sovereign destiny for my life.

It’s a choice then. I can’t control my circumstances, but I sure can control my response to my circumstances. 

I’ll never have to worry about my son crashing a car or driving when he shouldn’t. I don’t even have to worry about how I’m going to afford a car for him.

He will never talk back to me or speak disrespectfully to anyone in our family.

He will never experiment or get addicted to drugs or alcohol. I don’t have to worry at all about catching him doing drugs or drinking.

I get to spend everyday of life hanging with my son. He will be right there anytime I want to see him. I don’t have to worry about him moving cross the country and losing touch with the family.

“I’ll never have to worry that he got some young lady pregnant while still in school and is going to be a 16 year old dad.

It’s a matter of perspective. It’s a matter of choice. 

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”- (Philippians 4:8)