Attitude

I’ve been reading a lot in Matthew 5, the Beatitudes. Defined they are supreme blessedness or happiness. The Beatitudes are a series of blessings pronounced by Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount. They describe the qualities and attitudes valued in the Kingdom of Heaven, emphasizing grace and spiritual fulfillment rather than material wealth or success.

My coffee mug (see picture with this post) helps me set the tone for the day. “Incredibly grateful” and “gratitude is my attitude.”

So my brain made a connection, Beatitude = beautiful attitude.

Yesterday, I was in court testifying on a client’s behalf. I sat with my palms up in my lap, just like I said in my last post. When the opposing counsel started asking leading questions and putting misstatements in my mouth, I looked down and saw my hands clenched, and opened my palms back up, took a breath, and calmly and diplomatically told her where she was wrong. She did not like that and came back at me with a snide tone in her voice trying to discredit me. I just smiled at her (palms up), paused for a long moment, and calmly asked her, “Were you asking me a question or just making a statement?” I saw the judge trying really hard not to smile.

Paying attention to what was being specifically asked, and pausing before I spoke required effort and restraint. It prevented me from saying something that would not benefit my client. Like when she said, “I’ve noticed you put some case law supporting your position in the paperwork you submitted to the court. Are you a lawyer too?” Restraint kept me from saying, “No, put I play one on TV.”

Keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus, and keeping a beautiful attitude helped here, and reminds me how much I need to depend on Him for everything, every day to keep a beautiful attitude.

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