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saint M

Taken October 22, 2006, this is the church at Ste-Marthe, Quebec. It is nice to have a saint and a town with your name on it, though today is perhaps not one of my most saintly days. I just returned from my second French class of the semester and while driving home, found myself wanting to kill or seriously maim some fellow students who were whining and complaining about the new teacher's methods. Most of this was done behind his back, but finally a few of them talked to the teacher about some of their concerns and that was good, because they need to hear his point of view as much as he needs to hear theirs.

I don't like whiners. I don't like people who compare everything to how it has been done before. I don't like people who think everyone else should accommodate their needs. I don't like people who complain but can offer no positive suggestions. I don't like people who have no grace for other people's weaknesses. I don't like people who see only lack instead of seeing everything as an opportunity to learn. I don't like people who think they know it all. And I don't like the fact that I just wrote seven sentences doing the very thing I hate!! God does not like complaining and grumbling (read the story of the Israelites if you doubt me). There were some pretty stiff consequences for letting others know that your situation and others' actions have fallen far short of your expectations and demands. Things to remember to avoid being a complainer:

1. God is the centre of the universe, not me.

2. He does things according to his plan, not mine.

3. He will take very good care of me, no matter what it feels like at the moment.

4. Instead of looking to see what I can do to improve my circumstances, let me see how I can help someone else improve theirs.

5. Thanking God and others is always appropriate and necessary for my soul to keep from shriveling.

6. Never compare - it leads only to places I don't want to go.

7. This moment is a gift from God; treat it with the care and gratitude good gifts deserve.

8. No one wants to be friends with a whiner, so don't be one.

God is good. Life is beautiful. And it gets way better than this...

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Comments

Kate said…
It never ceases to amaze me - you really can't outgive an animal - even the "maladjusted" ones! Well said, Matte! -Kate
12:33 AM
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