Walking around Lake Rancho Santa Margarita, Bonnie and I ran into a friend we hadn’t seen for months. Knowing our friend’s political leanings, I asked, “How are you doing since the election?”
“I’m feeling pretty disgruntled,” he said.
After chatting with our friend for a few minutes, Bonnie and I continued our walk. “He, like a lot of people, is disgruntled,” Bonnie quipped.” I wonder if there is such a thing as being gruntled.”
Pulling out my cell phone, I asked, “Siri, is there a word ‘gruntled?’” Siri pulled up a definition from Dictionary.com: adjective 1. Informal happy or contented; satisfied.
Hence, the question: Are you gruntled? If not, why not?
Proverbs 15:15 in the Passion Translation tells us:
Everything seems to go wrong when you feel weak and depressed. But when you choose to be cheerful, every day will bring you more and more joy and fullness.
Now isn’t that the truth? We can be either an Eeyore or a Tigger, a Pooh or a poop. We get to choose our state of mind and choosing to be cheerful can bring us more joy and fullness.
The other day I woke up in a miserable mood. I was so grouchy, I even asked Bonnie to not bother trying to cheer me up. Since I am normally “Little Mr. Sunshine,” my mood shocked me more than it shocked Bonnie. “What is going on?” I wondered.
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:5 (NIV)
About mid-day, the answer came to me. I had been focusing on the “what’s wrongs” rather than the “what’s rights” in my life. Once I started reflecting on my many blessings, my mood started to shift.
Not feeling gruntled? Try applying to your life the words from the special blessing the Lord offered to Moses in Numbers 6:24-26 (NLT):
‘May the Lord bless you and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you and be gracious unto you.
May the Lord show you his favor and give you peace.’
The Lord blesses me and protects me.
The Lord smiles on me and is gracious to me—I can smile back.
The Lord shows me his favor and gives me peace.
Be gruntled!
Blessings,
Don & Bonnie
Image courtesy of order.uprintinvitations.com
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