"It's because you're religious..."

Does that bug you as much as it bugs me?

Someone said to me the other day "It's because you're religious.." or "so-and-so knows you're religious..." and it got me thinking. When this particular person said it, I wasn't offended or irritated, but a lot of the time, I am. And then I'm sad, because these people don't really understand what they're saying.

I think it bugs me because I feel like I'm being shoved in a group with any and all other people that practice a "religion". I've really come to not like that word. I don't want to be shoved in a group and put on a shelf with other "religions". I'm a Christian. I believe that God sent His Son to die for our sins. I believe that we're SO undeserving of the blessings he gives us on a daily basis. I believe that prayer is VERY powerful. I believe that if I believe, God will provide. I believe in the One and Only God. I believe that I've been saved by Gods pure grace, and nothing more.

And, I suppose, maybe next time sometime tells me "It's because you're religious..." I'll tell them, in the nicest possible way, that it has nothing to do with religion, and everything to do with God.

Changes

I never used to be a big fan of change. I like schedules. I like repetitiveness. I like when things are the same day after day. Right now, the seasons are in the process of changing, and I'm planning on going right along with them. What better time for a change? There are things in my life that I'm not happy with, and I've realized recently that its always going to be that way until I do something different. I'm starting with my attitude, especially about work.

Someone asked me the other night how work was going. My first response was, as it always is, work. Things go from bad to worse, to ok, and back to worse there, and anyone who knows me knows that. I had been working on MY attitude, but it felt like it was making no difference, so I fell back into the gossip and drama. I was also asked the other night, is work bad because of YOUR attitude? That got me thinking. Maybe, just maybe, I'll try that again, and try harder this time.

That night I was reading through my bible, looking for something else that had NOTHING to do with work or any of that, and came across something about gossip. And then the verse about doing EVERYTHING without grumbling. Everything? Like...EVERYTHING? Like...cleaning BATHROOMS and other peoples MESSES?? That too, God? That got me thinking. And thinking. And thinking some more. I was up LATE Wednesday night. I thought of all the things that I used to love about my job, because I did, at one time, LOVE my job. I love working with people (mostly). I love the experience its given me. I love the FRIENDS I've made there. I love knowing that my job is secure, because so many people don't have that security. How lucky am I, really?

So, here's to changing. I think if nothing else, I'LL be a happier person beacuse of it. I'm the youngest person at the store. Can I really make a difference? I guess we'll see. The effort has to count for something, right?