No Whining!

I don’t know what image the title brings up for you, but it makes me think of my three girls as they were growing up. Whining was one of my pet peeves and with three little girls, whining happened. I would tell them, “Sorry, but I can’t understand whining. You will have to use a normal voice in order for me to understand what you want.” It wasn’t always 100% effective, but it did lessen the whining. It is true though. When someone is whining, we may have a general idea of what they want or what they need, but it is all muddled up in that annoying whiny tone of voice and it is difficult to understand all the words they are saying!

Now I am not saying that you should just “keep a stiff upper lip” and never say anything negative at all. I am not saying that you can’t cry out when you are hurting or in an overwhelming situation. But, like I told my girls, your attitude and your tone of voice makes all the difference in the world. I once heard a speaker say that God doesn’t respond to need, He responds to faith. It has made a big difference in my life. Yes, there are times when I just need to cry because it hurts or it’s not fun. But if I continue to dwell on the need, the hurt, what’s not going right, I am not giving God anything to work with. I have to choose to believe what He said is true and right and step out on that.

We just moved halfway across the country to another state. Actually, we are still in the process of moving as all our stuff has not been delivered to us by the moving company yet. For one week we have had two chairs, a card table, one twin bed, and an air mattress. No pots and pans, no dishes, nothing in the kitchen. It hasn’t been easy. For the past week it has been very easy to dwell on what I don’t have. I’m a doer. I want to get our things put away and organized. We have a big trip coming up in a couple of weeks and it is my desire to be all settled before we leave. Their schedule is not fitting my plans.

I can continue to center in on what I don’t have before me, what I need, what I want, or I can center in on how good God has been in this whole move. I can center in on the love and provision He has shown in our lives. I can center in on His great grace. From the very beginning of this move we have prayed for God’s perfect timing and have seen it over and over again. His timing is not my timing, that is for sure! But I trust Him and He has shown at every step that even though it hasn’t always gone the way that I thought it should, it has definitely been His perfect timing all along the way.

One thing God has been dealing with me for months and months is to slow down and just be. Like I said, I am a doer. I get things done. But I can’t let that gift that God put in me overshadow what He wants to do for me or through me. I have to be quiet long enough to be able to hear Him speaking to me. Well, this past week I have certainly had more time to listen! But unfortunately, the whining has gotten in the way. I have now chosen to stop whining and to listen to Him, to do what He tells me to do when He tells me to do it. I’ve not been perfect. My girls weren’t either. But I’m getting better at it just like they did. And this morning I had an amazing time sitting on our front porch just listening to the birds, drinking my hot tea, praying and listening to God. It was so nourishing and peaceful!

So my challenge to you is to stop whining. We all do it. Again, it’s okay to pour out your heart to God or even to a trusted friend when you need to. But if you don’t take the next step and go, “Okay, God, what do I need to do now?” you will never get as far as you need to go and as far as He wants to take you. Don’t try to do it in your own strength or with your own plan. It won’t work as well. Ask me how I know! Be still, listen for His leading, then follow Him wholeheartedly without whining and complaining. You will be SO glad you did!