Time has really taken off on me, I can't believe it has almost been a month since I have written something down. Attitude is something I have been thinking about lately. How much does it affect others? How much does it help others? The reality of the matter is that it at least affects us.
So my interesting story goes like this I was out eating lunch with the new youth staff, Heather and Christina (stop by if you have not met them, they are super cool), we had a waiter who just had one of those attitudes. You know those guys who think they are way to cool and are not sure if they have time for you. They are the ones who check your coolness factor.
I have always made it my personal challenge to try and talk to them and get them to back down from their views of thinking they are to cool to talk. Yet today I just let it be and watched as his service was horrible. He was so slow to give us anything and even gave us our appetizer the same time as our main course. Heather and Christina watched as I got frustrated through the meal and when it came time to tip you can imagine how I felt.
Ok so this guy was not the most friendly but why did I allow him to take over my attitude. I was fired up because of his actions and to be honest they had nothing to do with mine. I could have chosen to have a better response but instead I fed into it. I left a weaker tip and walked out like I had taught him a lesson. But had I really taught him a lesson? What if I would have taken the time to ask him about something on the menu, could that have changed his reaction?
This got me to think about our attitude and how it affects others. So often I think about the men in the Bible and their attitude. I know I can never be Jesus but that God had a great attitude. He knew what things to actually get upset about and what things to let roll off his back. He knew how to treat people best. I think about others in the Bible my favorite Jacob, David, Paul, and Timothy. How would they have acted to my waiter?
The story gets worse I was running that night and I saw him at my apartment complex. I was like great that guy lives here. It made me re-think my actions and of course my attitude. I am not saying he was right but for starters I could have not let his attitude rub off on mine. And I certainly have not let it bother me. And lastly I want my attitude to affect others in a positive way. We get affected by so much in daily life my challenge is that we keep smiling and reminding ourself in those tough moments God is for us. He is enough for my attitude and His gifts remind me of the joy I have in him.
