Sights you see when you're driving

I saw a bumper sticker when I was out driving this morning. It said "attitude is everything."

Isn't that the truth, though?

It's not really the circumstances that count. I've seen myself go through almost identical circumstances with different attitudes each time, and the results are totally different in each case. If I lose my temper, the results are always guilt, emotional stress, the difficult task of asking forgiveness, and an all-around mess. If I show the fruit of self-control, the result is so much more pleasant! I have victory in my heart, and that can make me happy for the rest of the afternoon.

Strange - if I hadn't had that victory, I wouldn't have the joy. So, in a way, the circumstance was beneficial. Of course that's why God sent it.

But the circumstance can also produce opposite feelings...if I let anger or impatience or grudges take root in my heart.

Same circumstance.

Different attitudes.

So I agree with the bumper sticker.

It's kinda funny that Harley Davidson should have so much wisdom. :)



Edited to add:
Boy, I sure didn't know how much I would need to remember the words of this post a few minutes after I wrote it! I lost a very valuable item that didn't belong to me, and I was looking high and low for it. Few things make me angry and panicked the way losing something does. I was SO ready to blow! But I didn't dare - not after writing this post! (Well, okay; maybe I was a little panicked.)

I was writing this note at the bottom of this post, to ask y'all to pray that I'd find the item I was looking for - and lo and behold! As I sat down to type, my brother Justin (who has wonderful determination) found the item in the very top of my bedroom closet! Praise the Lord!!! (And thank you, Justin!)