Too much Happy?!

So often we compare ourselves to others. I'm thinking that's pretty much always a bad idea. God really did make us so entirely different. He definitely gave me a little extra pep in my step and wayyy too much energy at times. We have many embarrassing stories about my happy meter going off the charts. One night after we were seated at a restaurant our waiter comes up and says "Hi! My name is Jeff and I will be waiting on you." Without missing a beat I reply, "Oh hello! I'm Jenny! Nice to meet you." REALLY! Who introduces themselves to their waiter. One day I was walking across the parking lot at Kroger and was apparently smiling way too big and a guy said, "WOW! What are you so happy about?" So embarrassed:) My reply "I just love life!!" Even more embarrassed;) The other night we went out to eat at Outback and on our way out we saw an old friend who we have not seen in 10 years or more and I was like "HELLO!! How are you?! Are you living in the area?! Oh by the way if you say something about Ryan Newman placing in the top ten you get a free bloomin' onion. REALLY?! Cam and I died laughing all the way to the car. Who does that? I usually just look at him and he's like "yea, that's a little much!" Then there was a time we were at the airport and I saw Asa Hutchinson get off of the plane. He's just a local politician but I act as if he's Elvis. I said "ASA!!" He assumes surely this weirdo knows me and starts walking our way. I wanted to die. I just waved a little wave and smiled, he smiled and probably called security;)

That's just who I am. I'm happy! I'm not faking, it's just me. (Of course I'm not happy 100% of the time but a lot of the time and usually overly happy;) Annoying, but me. The downer is I find myself disliked by many simply because I'm happy. It's the truth. Misery does NOT like happiness. I had a lady (who I use to work with) who just did not like me. No matter what I did, it was always met with snarkiness and then one of my friends told me "Shake it off, before she even met you she didn't like you. She said she had seen you talking to people before and you were just too happy for her." Yikes. Cam and I have had many discussions about this before because not only am I overly happy, I'm sensitive. I can't stand for there to be people who don't like me. I'm a people person. I care too much about what people think about me. I shouldn't. Whew I get haters if I do something nice for people.  God gave me an extra heaping dose of compassion for the needy. My parents have a large dose as well. Now I WISH I had more self-control. He's working on me there. I need to be more gentle at times. Oh my goodness I can be impatient!! Definitely could use a little more slow to speak/anger. We are all just so different. We all have strengths, we all have weaknesses. Sometimes I feel my strength can be a target though. I don't like attention. I can't stand doing anything different with my hair because I hate to draw attention to myself in such a way. When I taught I seriously would only do different hairdos during the summer;). So for people to be ugly to me because I've helped someone or rally others to join the cause it's so disheartening. I don't want any glory. When Cam and I talk about it he says, "Well maybe you should have... " but then it always comes back to "nope. Just be you!" So and so is going to talk about you anyway.. just follow the Spirit and be you! Moral of the story... it's so unhealthy to compare ourselves to others. It usually just brings about a critical spirit in me b/c I'm like "yea, she's good at blah blah blah but her faults are blah blah blah." God gave us a standard and that is Jesus. When we compare to anyone but him it's unhealthy. Instead of comparing to others I want to really focus on encouraging! That person who you think has it ALL together doesn't! They need your encouragement. There are way too many things tearing us down, let us build each other up in Christ. Let us put off judgement, jealousy, critical spirits and put on encouragement, genuine love, and truth.