Hey, God…
Thanks for a great day. There was so much good about it, yet it was “just” another day! And, too, there was so much that I could have chosen to perceive as negative, inconvenient, frustrating, terrifying and even a little bad news thrown in. There was physical blood, emotional gore, and plenty of general unrest.
So how do we get to the end of the day and decide it’s been a good day? Do You do that, or do we? How was the glass not half-empty, what with all those “bads” swirling about all day?
Hmmm…let’s see… there was:
Faith: Trusting in One bigger than ourselves to handle the details, and the big picture;
Busyness: Having enough obligations, which keeps us from having enough idle time to dwell on the negatives;
Wisdom: Knowing that time solves most problems;
Love: Recognizing that there are other people needier than we, and acting on it by putting them first;
Trust: Believing that negatives will eventually turn out to be positives, even if today we can’t see how;
Laughter: Finding the humor in there somewhere, if only just to laugh;
Gratitude: Thanking others;
Responsibility: Understanding that we have purpose which others rely upon, whether we realize it or not;
Selective Focus: Choosing to attend to those things that strengthen or were meaningful in positive ways, and choosing to turn away from negativity;
Care: Making ourselves rest, eat, exercise properly so that we can properly care for others;
Hope: Keeping one eye to the future, since we know that circumstances always eventually change, and valleys yield to peaks;
Flexibility: The willingness to bend, cheerfully, with the winds of change;
Honesty: Having the courage to speak truth, for the purpose of integrity;
Respect: For both self and others, which often involves self-control, empathy and submission; and
Joy: Knowing that goodness abounds in all places and people, if we just look.
Thanks again, and also for bringing me safely back to the beach chair so we can take inventory like this. Like the memory of a peaceful vacation, may we remember these every day!
