Wag More. Bark Less.

I saw this on a bumper sticker this morning as I was driving around getting some items to get the kids ready for school.  I immediately knew that God was sending me a message.  It sounds silly, but it's true.

Dogs bark when they are angry, scared, etc.  They wag their tails when they are happy.  (Mine does it when you say certain words, especially "treat".)  I have a strong tendency, as I'm sure my family will tell you, to bark more than I wag.  I spend a  majority of my time unhappy, mad, upset, etc instead of just happy and enjoying life.  Why? I don't want to.  I know I choose it, but I certainly don't do it consciously.

I have a hard time letting things roll off.  I let them get to me and once I get upset, it takes quite a long time and a lot of effort to get me in a "wagging" mood again.  For example, last night I was reading Mike Rowe's page on Facebook.  (He always writes such interesting items.)  I chose not to read all of it because it was quite long and not a topic that I wanted to spend time on right then.  Steven noticed I was reading it and said something about it.  I told him I wasn't going to finish because I didn't want to read it all.  He then immediately asks, "What's wrong?  You ok?"  Huh?  I answered his question.  I wasn't short with him and I didn't say it sarcastically.  I just answered his question.  But he goes straight for "what's wrong."  That irritated me.  And it lasted all night.  He did it again this morning when he asked me, twice, how my walk with Sparky was.  Why does he have to ask me twice?  I hate that.  So that irritated me as well.

Why do small things like that bother me?  Not sure.  Maybe it's the fact that I have 3 boys around who already ask me an infinite amount of questions and I really don't want to answer more than is absolutely necessary.  It could be any number of things.  But it irked me!  I stayed angered for several hours until Elijah and I started having fun while getting hair cuts.

Anyway, I won't bore you with all the examples and what nots.  Suffice it to say that this is an area I could really use some prayer in.  I want to live life to the full, as Jesus promised.  But I am keeping myself from it for whatever reason.  I pray I figure it out sooner rather than later.  I know my kids already notice it and start their questions with "I hope this doesn't make you mad...."  I don't want them to remember their childhood that way.  Ugh!

Wag more.  Wag more.  Wag more!  Bark MUCH less!