Joy in the Unenjoyable

"I quit!" Kids say it all the time.

One of my kids had a long string of Monopoly victories; it was almost a foregone conclusion that he would win. And then... his brother figured out his strategy, played against it, and the one used to winning stormed from the table, screaming "I quit!" at the top of his lungs. Our neighborhood football games seem end that way all too often. One kid, not happy with the score, essentially says, "I'm gonna take my ball and go home!" Quitters.

We're supposed to teach kids not to quit. Pause the game, explain why quitting is a bad choice, and nudge the frustrated one back to the table - or the field.

Same thing with school. Of course it's hard. School should stretch kids' minds, challenging them to think more broadly and deeply. School should develop academic skills, which include perseverance and the problem solving skills needed for everyday life. So, we coax them through the homework; we encourage them to try again. Sometimes we scream till we're blue in the face, "You'll finish your homework NOW!" (Or maybe that's just me).

So what happens if I want to quit? Am I allowed to withdraw from something because it's hard? Or frustrating? Or seems pointless? Seriously... Right now, I really want to quit! I'm involved in something that I don't enjoy, but yet, I committed to it. Every minute that I invest in it, I regret the time lost from things I enjoy more - like my family. As a "retired" attorney, I can certainly craft a strong argument for why I should quit (just ask my kids. I'm good at crafting persuasive arguments).

Instead, I will continue. I am no less frustrated than my kids get when life doesn't go their way or when school is really hard. I can't quit, in part, because I am their example. More importantly, I can't quit because it's just not right. No matter what excuses I come up with: school schedules, homework requirements, other personal obligations, need for rest, or using my time for more "God-worthy" pursuits, quitting is not an option.

Paul wrote, "Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people," (Col. 3:23 NET). Look at that, "Whatever you are doing," not whatever you want to do, but the work you are, in fact, doing. "Work at it with enthusiasm." I need to work on this part. If I had some enthusiasm, I wouldn't want to quit. I'm very enthusiastic about vacation, and work hard at that. I need enthusiasm for the things I don't enjoy. "As to the Lord and not for people." I don't work for people. I live for God. In all that I do, the things I find personally fulfilling and the things I don't, God should be my focus. What wouldn't I do for Him? If I put Him in the positions people hold, how differently would I act?

I have a serious lesson to learn here! I tend to avoid housecleaning. I am two weeks behind in coupon clipping, another thing I'm trying to avoid. I have baskets of laundry to put away (though at least the laundry is clean - some improvement). I really dread the days when my kids lack focus for school - battle after battle to get the work done! I realize as I write that there are lots of things I do that don't get done with enthusiasm for the Lord. The mundane and the frustrating, they are all here to here to help me grow.

Dear God, You are so patient with me. I know in my heart that I complain about so much, when I should be honoring you in all that I do. Help me to have a spirit of contentment with the mundane. Help me to have an attitude of joy in the unenjoyable. Help me grow in patience as I face frustrations. Thank you for always giving me another chance. I give you this day. Help me live for you in ALL that I do. In your Son's name I pray. Amen