Enjoy Without Complaining

What do I enjoy? My children, coffee, reading, being in my chair talking with God, my job, talking, walking, spending time with people I love. 

All good things. 

So why should complaining even cross paths with enjoyment? 

I am blessed because I get to live my story in a comfy house, with food on the table, water from the tap, warmth and good health. I have a job and my children, at the moment, enjoy their free education. 

This comfort led to me taking the things I enjoy for granted. Therefore it was quite easy to complain about the things I enjoy. 

"I'm too busy looking after the children to actually enjoy a cup of warm coffee."

"I don't know the last time I got to sit down and read a book."

"The children are always bickering and never do as they are told."

However when my world flipped upside down my thinking did too. What was I placing as a priority? What was taking importance in my thoughts? My enjoyment of 'things' had become far more important than it should have been. More important than ensuring the others in my life were enjoying 'things' too. I had set my expectations of enjoyment too high which led to a lot of complaining. 

Enjoyment for me now comes from things that I previously would have taken for granted. 

A night time snuggle with the children when they are sound asleep. 

A costa (and a cake) and a catch up

A mealtime sharing one good thing 

A spectacular sunrise

A blue sky 

As I said, I am blessed and as each new sun comes, I realise that I am able to enjoy so much. I now know that life is far better when I choose not to set my expectations so high. The complaints will still come but when I do complain I must remind myself of all that I have to enjoy and ask for eyes to see enjoyment in a different and simpler way. 

"Do everything without grumbling or arguing."

Philippians chapter 2 verse 14 (New International Version)