Being a word girl has its drawbacks.

I am fascinated by words and how they are used. Since age four I have loved reading them, using new ones, and unfortunately, I love fixing the improper usage of them. I think I should make money for editing. Well, I kind of already do. I edit songs that my students play every week, but maybe a book editor would have been more appropriate.

I tell Christian that it’s a good thing he has me, or his sentences would surely suffer. And just imagine all of those business calls and meetings and sermons that could have misled folks, or at the very least left them struggling with why he didn’t add the “l” and “y” to a needy adverb! (insert sarcasm here)
Then I tell him I’m sorry because he must feel like he married a woman named Spell-check. Seriously, he speaks and I interject a correction. Miss DeLong would probably be proud. I wish I could turn it off.

Today’s words to evaluate.

COMPLAIN—
vb (intr)
1. to express resentment, displeasure, etc., esp habitually; grumble
2. to state the presence of pain, illness, etc., esp in the hope of sympathy

WHINE—
v.intr.
1. To utter a plaintive, high-pitched, protracted sound, as in pain, fear, supplication, or complaint.
2. To complain or protest in a childish fashion.

These verbs are some things I think I just might be really good at. I think I’m not the only one in this position. I do not aspire to be a negative person, but if these are the things constantly coming out of my mouth I may be just that.

This darn tongue of mine.

I just read this very well-written article about the recent tragedies in Japan. It really stirred my emotions. Theirs is a country that is one of the richest in the world. One day there are families just like ours going about life and planning for the future and the next, if they have survived, are living on a floor with blankets as their only comfort and nowhere to call home. We just can’t imagine that kind of devastation and I would imagine we don’t really want to.
We live abundantly in such a way that we could not imagine a day of hunger, but in fact may find ourselves complaining about having to make dinner.

Once upon a time we became friends with a boy in Ghana as a pen pal. Eventually, we were helping him and his family as much as we could. Occasionally, we would get a phone call featuring a whole bunch of excited family members who wanted a chance to talk to Prince’s American “family.”
One day, he asked us if we had a car. I’m not sure when I’ve been so humbled because I had to admit that we had at least two cars at that point. How do you explain that we each needed one when he couldn’t imagine having just ONE?
We are so ridiculously blessed.

Recently, I read about a plan to rid oneself of all the whining and complaints. It’s taken me a while to even consider this option because quite frankly, I wasn’t sure I was up for the challenge. Today I am and I am going to issue the same challenge to you.
Perhaps you aren’t ready today, but take some time and think and pray about it. If you do decide to begin just post this blog to your facebook page (click on the facebook “F” under this blog) and issue the challenge to those you know as well.
Please let me know if you’re in this with me.

I am putting a bracelet on my wrist. It doesn’t matter what the bracelet looks like. It’s just a symbol of a commitment you are making to quit complaining for 30 days. And then you stop complaining. If you mess up and something flies out of your mouth that shouldn’t have, the bracelet goes on the other wrist. The idea is to wear the bracelet on the same arm for 30 consecutive days.

This may take me a while.

I believe this is step one. Hopefully, in some way in your life you are already “paying it forward,” but once we realize how much we complain in spite of our abundance, then perhaps we can look for ways to give out of our abundance as well.

Are you in?