Grouch
April 30, 2022 by Charlotte Riegel
Filed under Daily Devotions
By Charlotte Riegel –
I had it coming to me. It was not a wise choice to stay up so late reading. Weariness knocked on my door at the usual go-to-bed time but I refused it entrance and kept pushing myself past tired, somewhat like athletes do when they push themselves ‘to the wall’ and then break through it.
It started innocently enough. I thought reading before turning off the light would help me fall asleep faster. It had the opposite effect this time because I was already past the ‘wall’, on the other side of sleep, happily heading into an all-nighter though at the time I did not realize this fact.
At 2:30 a.m., knowing I needed some sleep, I put away the book I was reading, turned off the light, and began tossing and turning. My mind continued to race through what I had just read in an attempt to process and mentally file all the information. Brace yourself, it was not a romance thriller, or an intense Bible Study book. No, it was the 2012 – 2013 Academic Calendar for Rosebud School of the Arts.
I delighted to see the various course options available, pondering if I should take any. The instructor profiles fascinated. And then, the ‘Who’s Who’ section introduced me to various people, beyond staff, that made this organization function.
What? My name is among the ‘who’s who’ of RSA? Well, yes, I had volunteered to become the ‘volunteer coordinator’ for the Art Gallery but never dreamed my name would be included in their publicity!
And the wheels turned, both in my mind and in the clock. Morning came and although I did not feel particularly tired I felt frustrated and grouchy because I knew I should have slept and hadn’t.
As I pulled back the curtains, bright sunshine greeted me. A story I read recently flashed to mind, about personalized license plate messages. Two cars randomly stopped side by side at a red light. One said, ‘SUNZOUT’. The other, ‘GROUCH’.
Prayer: Thank you Lord for a sunny day. I will work at not being grouchy.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV).
Charlotte Riegel is a freelance writer recently moved from a large metropolitan city to a wee rural community in Western Canada. Some call it retirement. She calls it 're-tire' ment as she explores new avenues of written and visual expression while assisting her husband in establishing a business in the tourist industry.