When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.

1 Peter 2:23

Last week, we headed to Disneyworld to watch our kids perform at Disney Springs.

Without Disney, I wouldn’t probably spend time in Florida. I’m not a fan of the heat, not to mention the humidity. But this time, something was different: 

I decided to like it. 

I’m no sun-worshipper. I have to be careful in direct sun. But with a good dose of sunscreen and a penchant for finding the shade, I decided I was just going to change my attitude and enjoy the heat. 

Think about it: heat feels good when you’re cold, right?

I love bundling up in my favorite coats for blustery New England days. It’s not being warm that’s the problem, I told myself. I need to try acting appropriately in the weather. 

I walked slow, and I drank a lot of water. Also, I kept using this mantra: “It’s nice to be warm.” After three days in the high 80s and low 90s, I was better acclimated. I wasn’t a different person. I was still me. But I decided the problem of heat was not going to be a problem on this trip. 

And it wasn’t. 

Some things we don’t get to decide. If you’re in pain, you’re in pain. But there are so many things that happen to us that feel worse because of our attitudes towards them. I’ll be speaking more about attitude this Sunday during my sermon, but for now, I’ll ask you to think about your responses to your experiences.

We don’t all have the patience of Jesus to endure (see the scripture quote above from 1 Peter). But we do have his example as inspiration. His attitude was the best. Just shoot for doing your best!