Ever Thought of Yourself as a Thermostat?!

This time of year I find myself looking at the outdoor thermometer several times throughout the day. I can’t tell what the temperature is by looking out the window. The sun makes me think it could be 70, while the thermometer tells me to put on an extra sweater before I venture out because it registers only 40 degrees.
I am reminded of the analogy I heard years ago from Chuck Swindoll, in his fine book, Laugh Again. He says, “Some people are thermometers. They merely register what is around them. If the situation is tight and pressurized, they register tension and irritability. If it’s stormy, they register worry and fear. If it’s calm, quiet, and comfortable, they register relaxation and peacefulness. Others, however, are thermostats. They regulate the atmosphere. They are the mature change-agents who never let the situation dictate to them.”
As ‘homemakers’, wives and moms, we have such an opportunity to influence everyone in our home. When I was younger, I didn’t realize what an impact my moods and attitudes had on the rest of my family. I have made it a mission of mine to become a ‘thermostat’…the ‘mature change-agent’! Swindoll says it begins with learning to be content. It’s a daily challenge and can be as unpredictable as the weather itself sometimes, but the idea of being a steady thermostat intrigues me more than being a thermometer…that sits out in the cold and is at the whim of constant change.