LIFE AT 61 - GRATITUDE OR GRUMBLING??

I know that the title may just catch some of you off guard.  HOWEVER I've been thinking a lot these days about a lot of things.  Im doing pretty well according to the doctors, better than they ever expected at this point in the recovery process.  I feel good, Im back riding my bike again, life is good.

So why the title.  It was brought to me this morning by a good friend, Terri, in one of her daily posts.  I had been thinking about this whole thing for awhile now, and she gave me the push I needed to write.  WHY gratitude over grumbling???  Well 1st of all it is a WHOLE lot easier to be around someone who is positive and NOT negative.  A negative person pretty much always seems to be grumbling about something.  I KNOW this, because at one time, I was there.  I would just find reasons to moan and groan about something.  I was miserable, so I was making everyone around me the same way.  I was a piece of work!!  Part of the reason I was that way, is because I had put negative people in my life.  I finally realized that who your friends are, is who you are.  VERY hard to admit, but so very true.  I had a decision to make and I finally eliminated most all of those people from my life.  The ones that I did not completely eliminate, I greatly reduced my time around them, making me a much nicer person to be around.  :)  Just ask my family!!

One thing I have been thinking of lately, is WHY did God choose me to heal.  There are LOTS of people that need healing.  Anything from that dreaded C word to other diseases.  So why me?  I really have not found that answer yet, but here is one possible reason.  From the minute that the Dr told me what he "thought" it was, to now, I have not for one minute thought that HE would NOT heal.  In fact whenever Im asked about how Im doing, or how I feel, or what is the prognosis, the 1st thing I say is that GOD has healed me.  I usually get a very strange look, then usually a snicker.  BUT that is OK.  God knows and that is the big deal!!  That might sound like a bunch of "stuff", but the Bible is pretty clear on this.  Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and Life are in the POWER of the tongue, and those who LOVE it will eat its fruit!"  I think this pretty much says it all.  I believe we do have power over what we say and how we say it.  Ive been tempted lately to start having some doubt about things, especially after hearing about some that have had issues with disease coming back, or needing additional treatment.  Here again I dont know WHY, but I do know that when God heals, he COMPLETELY heals!

On another subject, but really goes hand in hand with this, is should we not try to be a blessing to someone on a daily basis??  That does not mean go out and give someone money or whatever, but it might.  What would happen if you just picked up someones check at a restaurant?  Or if you saw someone struggling with getting a load of groceries in their car and stopped for even a minute to help them load up?  How about the single mother next door who needs a tank of gas?  These are just a few ideas that you can use to be a blessing.  YES some do involve money, but mostly you can even just say a few nice words to brighten someones day.  THINK before you SPEAK!  Just be aware of surrounding and be aware of that little voice that might tell you to do something.  It just might be God whispering to you.  You never know who you might help, it MIGHT be an angel in disguise.