A REAL GROWN UP

I was very angry the other day and I found myself tempted to throw something down the stairs. So I said silently to myself, “A MATURE Christian woman does not throw temper-fits!”

Doesn't she? I had to laugh.

It is hard to be a real grown-up. In two months we plan to move out of our house where we have lived for 30+years and we will be renting for a year or two. We want to move to another state where our son, daughter-in-law and grandson live. We will check out that area to see if it could be a permanent place  and home for us.

Now I am faced with all kinds of curious challenges that I haven't had to deal with in a long, long time. I will have to think about my credit score and if I can be considered “rent-worthy.” Really? I will be required to ask friends to be references for me and they will be asked to describe my housekeeping and bill-paying habits. I am soft and comfortable right where I am and I don't want to be uprooted and…. face so much change. I have lived in this house for 30 years and I am a grown-up!!

I even thought about putting an ad on the craigslist in our new home-town saying, “Two REAL grown-ups are looking for a place to rent. We know how to mow the lawn and wash the windows. Our dog is well cared for and doesn't potty in the house because we take her outside often. We do the dishes and pay all our bills and we never, ever throw temper-fits and toss things down the stairs. I'm hoping someone answers my ad who knows how to laugh.

But then I had to think, how does a REAL grown-up eat? And I have to ask myself, “Do I truly want to know the answer to that question?”

I think grown-ups have self-control, most of the time. They probably don't stash a half gallon of ice cream under other things in the freezer, so only they know it's in there. They eat well most of the time, so they can eat a piece of cake at a wedding or enjoy Christmas pie without sweating the extra calories. A REAL Grown-up works hard to find ways to eat food they that is also healthy. They exercise regularly and don't whine about it either.

Today, I'm reminding myself that my goal is to be a really, truly, and fully grown-up. I must make lots of choices every day. Because I am mature, I can choose to call upon some maturity and inner strength to make good choices in regard to food. The days that I am weak, I ask God to send the extra strength I'm lacking. I will not be good or grown-up every day or every single choice forever, but I can do this  most days, most of the time. I will even fail at times and say it is Ok to fail some days. Then I will get up and go on.

But for today, I will be strong and really, truly, totally grown-up.