It's all about attitude

I have had the revelation in the past couple of days that attitude is everything. I've been hearing that my entire life, from my parents and teachers, but it is an entirely different thing to experience it to be true. For 2 meals in a row, I was assigned to be bathroom monitor. This is a job done only when there is enough people to fill all other roles during the meal. When the yard is opened to our guests during each meal, 2 bathrooms are available to them while they wait, or after they have finished eating. The monitor's job is to see that everyone waits in line, toilet paper is replaced, and to maintain order in the yard. I have found that it is a job that, for the most part, does itself. There is the rare occasion when people take too long in the bathroom while others wait, but usually these things are quickly resolved without too much swearing. Well my second tour of duty saw a lot of action, including a clogged toilet (a kind man took the plunger from my hands because he said it shouldn't be my job, for which I am grateful), a clogged sink (the result of a vomited meal) and a urine puddle on the floor of one of the bathrooms. Now, I could look at that and say, what an awful day. Or, I could look at it and say, well that part of it sucked, but I also had the chance to talk to people in the yard, learn a few names, receive the kindness of the man who took the plunger, and watch the antics of some of our more eccentric guests. The difficulty that comes into changing your attitude is that it needs to be a conscious choice sometimes and, often, it can take less effort to look at the grim side of things rather than the good side because the grim aspects are more obvious.

It's hard to describe the day to day activities and characters of the Inn and my house because to give the background would take up quite a bit of time, so if I am lacking in enough detail, I apologize. This is also the reason why it is sometimes difficult to catch up on the phone, because to tell you what exactly I have been up to requires a lot of explanation, and even then I'm not sure that I can make people understand. But please know that I am incredibly happy to be here and am having the time of my life. It doesn't feel like work because there is so much joy in it for me-I almost feel like work shouldn't be this much fun. There are certainly times when I have to do things I don't enjoy, but I am surrounded and supported by wonderful people who really care about me, and that makes anything bearable at the very least. When people say that they are proud of what I am doing or impressed by it, I am always slightly puzzled. What I am doing with my life is no harder for me than going to school is for a student or practicing medicine is for a doctor or building things is for a construction worker. I am doing what I feel called to do, just like (I hope) you are. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the prayers and well-wishing, but don't think this is any more special than anyone else's job. Certainly we do it with a recognition of the presence of God in our work, but shouldn't everyone do their job like that?