It's Not a Tulip Garden

I love my tulips. Somehow just couldn't resist. Actually I was being impatient in the supermarket line, stepped away from my cart and spotted these lovelies calling out to me. A good distraction and better than tabloid headlines, from my bad attitude.

I was journaling yesterday about unrighteous attitudes, and how we can think our reasons for them are justifiable. Attitudes being the thoughts and intents of the heart. Later, I'm often not even able to remember what those so-called reasons were, but unfortunately, the sad consequences of our poor disposition may follow after us into the future, despite whatever we do to change and correct it.

It brings to mind David's wife, Michal. From her point of view many factors would have justified her contempt and the harsh words spoken to her husband. She had loved him and helped him to escape the wrath of Saul, her father. He on the other hand, seems to have forgotten her, had married at least five other women, at the point years later - after she had been given by her father to another, and is now in an apparently happy marriage to a man devoted to her - when David brings her back for political, and or prideful reasons. She is also without children, a pitiful position in that culture. Is her bad attitude therefore okay?

After sympathizing with Michal, we might attempt to see things from God's perspective. Though, of course, we can't understand it all, we do know He is more interested in our heart attitudes than our temporary happiness. David was her rightful husband, whatever right or wrong decisions he may have later made with regard to other wives. Any children she might have borne could have been said to be of the line of Saul, and a possible cause of future contention or claim to the throne of Solomon, God's choice. Was Michal grateful for the good things she did have?

We are always in control of how we think and act, irregardless of circumstances and other people. I guess it's a cliche to say life is what we make of it, but still... Is life ever fair, ever without trial, ever a tulip garden all of the time?