I read one of my devotionals the other day that said if I just changed out one word from my vocabulary with another, it could actually make a world of difference to my spiritual life. What’s the change you ask? It’s quite simple really, as it’s replacing the word “have” to “get”.
So, how can that help?
Well, I wondered the very same thing until I began to ponder it for a bit and suddenly I started to understand why.
“I have to go take a shower” became “I get to go take a shower” and it’s then I remembered how many people in this world don’t even have a shower to step into, let alone have running water to bathe with, as well as those who can’t even wash themselves due to disabilities.
“I have to pay my credit card bill off” became “I get to pay my credit card off” and it’s then I remembered how many people float their debt from one month to the next, let alone plenty of others who have such bad credit they aren’t able to possess a credit card anymore.
“I have to get to my recovery meeting” became “I get to go to my recovery meeting” and it’s then I remembered how many people aren’t even aware that recovery meetings exist to help a person remain clean and sober, let alone the vast numbers of others who are still out there destroying their lives from some form of an addiction.
“I have to get some service done to my car” became “I get to get some service done to my car” and it’s then I remembered how many people are out there who can’t afford the service work needed for their vehicle, let alone own a car, or even be able to drive.
“I have to call my partner” became “I get to call my partner” and it’s then I remembered how many people are out there who don’t have a partner to go home to, let alone someone special to spend their lives with on a daily basis.
And so on and so forth. I’m sure you get my point.
The reality is that a simple change from “have” to “get” exemplifies a lot more gratitude in life, something of which I work very hard these days to demonstrate, both to God and to others.
That’s why I plan on paying more attention now to the statements that come out of my mouth because ultimately, I’d like to move away from using any language that sound more like an obligation in life, instead of showing gratitude to God for the abundance I’ve been given.
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
