Give me a Heart of Praise, Please!

Isn't it funny how sometimes we can do something with such a joyful heart, but then a few weeks down the road we are murmuring and complaining about that same chore we enjoyed a few weeks earlier? Well that has happened to me (again) this week. I recently was blessed with a washing machine. The place we live in only has a hook up and power for a Washer, not a dryer. So that left me with two options for drying...Laundromat  or clothes line. I chose the laundromat... until I realized (after my 1st two loads of laundry) that I had a lot of wet clothes lying around in baskets. How was I going to get 4-5 baskets of wet clothes into a car with my three kids. Not gonna work! So I opted for a clothes line. It's cheaper and good for the environment, right? Well, at first I love it. I even took pictures to blog about how much I loved it, but then the fun wore off and it became just another chore.

Now you know it doesn't just stop here. No, the Lord wouldn't allow that. Yesterday as I did my laundry I happened to get a call from my Sister Nina. As we were talking I must have grumbled or sighed while I was putting my wet clothes on the line. She laughed and said something like ~ "not as fun as it used to be?" When she said that I realized that at one point this was fun to me, but now I have lost my joy. After I hung up from that call the Lord gave me a Scripture about joy. I realized then that my prospective had changed, and this had become a chore instead of a blessing like it was at 1st. I was so convicted of my attitude so I repented and began to praise the Lord that my family had clothes to wash, and money to buy laundry soap. What a change it was to my heart. My complaining heart became a heart of Joy and praise. What an awesome God we serve! He doesn't just leave us in a pit of self pity and grumbling. He shows us a way out and gives us Joy! So I pray today that I can look to Him and praise Him as I clean my house, teach my children, make dinner, and even as I hang my laundry. May those things not be chores today, tomorrow or ever, but instead be a time of Praise and Thanksgiving!

*Philippians 2:14 -Do everything without complaining

*Psalm 71:23 - My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You;And my soul, which You have redeemed.

*Psalm 98:4 - Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.