Attitude Adjustment

I've been struggling with a bad attitude lately. I'd like to chalk it up to pregnancy hormones, but I've let an inanimate object steal my joy and there's really no excuse for it. Our van has gone from needing a small band aid to needing major surgery. We won't have our van back for another two weeks and the price tag to get it back won't be pretty.

In the meantime, Matt's brother was gracious enough to let us borrow the Macduff Vintage Van. I was really trying to avoid such a drastic measure, but there are just some times when it's not convenient for us to take two cars to our destination. The Macduff Vintage Van has seen better days. No a/c, the windows don't roll up once they're rolled down, the side doors won't open and the peeling paint--let's just say she's not the loveliest vehicle on the block.
When I drove the kids to church on Sunday (Matt had to be there early, so he left without us), the wind was whipping through the van and messing up the girls' (and my) hair. I'm very distracted by noises when I'm driving, so the outside traffic noise was difficult for me to manage. However, the kids had a blast. I had a poopy attitude, but the kids couldn't have been more thrilled with the novelty of it all.

We had a Dairy Queen gift card with some money still left on it, so we decided to go out for ice cream that night. Boy, did we ever get some looks, climbing out of that van with six kids. The kids didn't notice. They happily went inside and ate their ice cream. When it was time to go home, Paul simply climbed through the rear doors and kicked open the side door from the inside so that the girls and the little boys could get in. "How embarrassing," I thought, but the kids didn't think anything of it. They sang songs all the way home at the top of their lungs so that they could be heard over the whipping wind.

I guess I realized I could take a lesson from my kids and I needed to adjust my attitude. In most countries of the world, the Macduff Vintage Van would be considered a luxury vehicle. Instead of being completely without transportation, I do have a vehicle that gets us around. Thankfully, it hasn't been as hot here as it usually is in summer, so I haven't been completely miserable when driving the Big Beast. Because of Dave Ramsey's advice and the grace of God, we do have enough money saved to pay for our own van's repair. So, I have a lot to be thankful for and nothing to complain about. Attitude adjusted--hopefully--the weather report says that tomorrow it's supposed to be 100 degrees. I think the kids and I will stay home:)

"give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess. 5:18