Attitude

So, I think I've decided that this is where I'm going to write things out and process them. Well, things that I think might be interesting to read or things that I think might help people understand more clearly what actually goes on here in Ghana from day to day. Or I might just write because I want to. In summary: I don't know what I'm talking about and will write when I want to, okay? Okay, thanks.

Continue

Very often at this school things get changed at the last minute. Sometimes it's because no one thought ahead to work things out before it became a problem and sometimes it's because things really do change at the last minute. Both of these scenarios happen with frightening regularity here. Well, I guess it's only frightening for someone like me who thrives on lists and schedules and consistency. Some people are great with change and it doesn't phase them at all. Me? Not so much.

This morning was one such instance where at the last minute things got changed. I can't say with any certainty whether it was scenario 1 or 2 listed above but I guess it doesn't matter. At 7:15 this morning - classes start at 7:50 am - I found out that a schedule change had been made to the high school schedule. Something called "convocation" had been added to the schedule for a half an hour. Great, that means the whole morning schedule is changed AND my 8th grade class and physical science class now overlap. Don't ask how that happened - we have a complicated schedule and that's what happened. It's kind of like the movies with time travel in them - just accept what's happening and don't think too hard or ask too many questions. Anyway. For the next 15 minutes I had to run around the school looking for someone to cover my physical science class while they took a quiz so that I could teach in 8th grade science. Okay, now I understand that to those of you in America reading this it doesn't sound like such a big deal and it wasn't really. But when things like this happen every week, without warning it's frustrating. What if the students have a question on the quiz? The period is shorter now, will they be able to finish? What if the speaker is late? (And that my friends happens more times than the electricity turns off in a week. In other words A LOT.) What happens to the schedule then? So many questions that really no one can answer for me because no one has thought that far ahead. So I ran around and found someone to cover for me (well, cover for whoever changed the schedule and made me pick up the pieces, really - and thanks Lauren!) only to realize a few minutes later that I in fact don't even have my 8th grade class today. Gah! Yes, we have a complicated schedule that changes everyday in which I have 8th grade during 2nd period everyday EXCEPT Tuesday. In the end the schedule change ended up not mattering in terms of my overlapping classes. Then, it ended up not mattering at all because the speaker never showed up. We waited 22 minutes and the guy never came. At that point it was decided that we would go back to our regularly scheduled programming and not even do the schedule change. Well, that's all well and good except my physical science class still had a quiz to take and now they only have 30 minutes in which to take it. Most of them finished - after they were already supposed to be in their next class.

Was the above hard for you to follow? Yeah, me too. And unfortunately things like this happen way too often. Frequently I'm told, "That's just the way it goes Elyse when you're in an international school." Well, I'm not sure I buy that but if that makes you feel better then okay.

The whole point to this post was supposed to be about attitude. I was frustrated earlier dealing with all of this and trying to figure things out. The whole time I kept trying to tell myself that it wasn't such a big deal and it would work out and I just need to be calm about it. Things happen and I need to learn to deal with it. Then I started thinking, "Well if other people would just get their acts together as it relates to ME then I could be a calmer and happier person." Um, Elyse. No. That's not how it works. I'M THE ONLY ONE IN CHARGE OF MY ATTITUDE. No matter what goes on around me, I have to be in charge of my attitude. More appropriately, I have to let God be in charge of my attitude. If I'm living a life close to God and letting his Holy Spirit live through me then a good attitude that's okay with change will flow out of me and I won't have to worry about getting frustrated. Or at least if I do get frustrated I'll deal with it better and maybe even with a smile on my face. I halfway succeeded this morning in having a good attitude about the whole thing. Next time I hope I fully succeed. I cannot and will not ever be able to control what goes on around me but I CAN control how I handle and react to those things around me. I'm not perfect so I can't expect other people to be my definition of perfect.

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22-24

Today I'm striving to put on my new self that was created by God to be righteous and holy. No, I'll never be perfect but I always need to be working toward the person God created me to be and that person is joyful in ALL circumstances.

Have a great Tuesday :-)