Calgon, I think I'll Stay

You didn’t ask for it, but I’m going to give it. Today is my official day to complain. So buckle your seatbelt buckaroos, because boy oh boy do I have a list!

• All of my favorite professional sports teams stink. (If you’re from Kansas City, then your favorite teams stink too. Sorry for pointing out the obvious, but I believe in the old adage “Misery loves company.”)
• The stock market stinks (even worse than all of our team’s locker rooms combined).
• My office stinks. I had a small chili from Wendy’s yesterday and our usually terrific janitors missed my trash bucket and now my office smells like yesterday’s chili. I assure you it smelled better yesterday.
• Speaking of my office, when the toilet in my office is flushed it is really loud… really, really loud. Sonic boom loud. So when “nature calls” not only does everyone in the office know but half of Johnson County and parts of Wyandotte County know it too. That stinks!
• Speaking of things loud and stinky, I awoke this morning to a zit on the end of my nose. For someone who is already quite “nasally endowed,” the new real estate on the end of my beak is an unwelcomed addition.
• Speaking of awaking, I didn’t get enough sleep last night. (Can you tell?) My dog thinks my bed is her bed. It’s not, but just try convincing her of that. She is not very reasonable.
• I’m having a bad hair day (my hair is not very reasonable either).
• I spilled my lunch on my shirt.
• I’ve got a headache.
• The Presidential mudslinging gives me a worse headache.
• So does the Vice Presidential mudslinging.
• In fact, this whole political season has given me a headache. When will November 5th arrive?
• Blah, Blah, Blah! “Calgon, take me awayyyyyyyy!”

OK… I’m done complaining. Do I feel better? Not really. Do you feel better from reading my complaining list? Probably not.
So why complain?

Good question.

Looking back over that list… every complaint is dumb. (Am I complaining about my complaints? I think I am… wow that’s weird!) Here’s the scoop on complaints: If I can’t fix the problem, if it is out of my control-- then why complain? After all my complaining, the problem will still be there. And if I haven’t tried to fix those things that I can fix—then why complain? I need to quit complaining and fix the problem. Bottom line… why complain?

The Bible goes so far as to say: “Do everything without complaining.” Philippians 2:14

When we complain, aren’t we in a roundabout way saying: “God can’t take care of me”? Listen, if God is in control (and He is) and if I complain (and sometimes I do) am I not saying during those moments, “I don’t like the way you’re running things, God. I think I could do a better job.” News Flash: I can’t do a better job. Not even close. I don’t want to be a complainer, I want to be faithful—even when the skies are grey and the stock market flops.

So instead of counting my losses, I want to be a person that counts my gains. Instead of making a list of my woes, I should be making a list of my blessings. Instead of seeing all the problems—I want to look to the Ultimate Problem Solver. And when I do those things— whether the problem is the stock market or a zit on the end of my nose, I know that my troubles aren’t forever, but God is. My troubles will soon be gone, but God will be by my side. So, never mind Calgon, I think I’ll stay.