We get hit with things out of our control. We see our friends suffer and there is nothing we can do about it. Then, there's just a bad cold that seems to make everything else seem worse, too.
I am in one of those sort of funks right now. My friends are hurting and there is nothing I can do to help. And I just can't seem to shake this bad cold or whatever it is. However, my ailments pale in comparison to what others around me are experiencing. I shouldn't complain. Yet I do. :(
We have a movie on our DVR called Pollyanna. Some may have heard of this movie, or even just the term "being a Pollyanna." I had heard the term long before seeing the movie. Dictionary.com defines the term as "an excessively or blindly optimistic person." When you read that, you almost get the idea it is a bad thing. After watching the movie, Hayley Mills (aka Miss Bliss from Saved by the Bell) portrays the character Pollyanna who in most circumstances likes to play the Glad Game. She purposedly focuses on the good in situations and doesn't allow the bad to bring her down. She is not blindly optimistic, but intently optimistic. For example, instead of me complaining about this awful cold, I can be glad I do not have the flu. I can still function to some degree.
We could all take a lesson from Pollyanna. When we decide, or allow ourselves to hone in on the evils and troubles of this world all the time, we miss the blessings before us. I am not saying to look at the world through rose-colored glasses, but to take time to notice the blessings. They will always far outweigh the troubles if you look hard enough.God loves each and every one of us. He promises to be with us each step of the way. He sends His Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us. We are never alone. Be glad in that!
Psalm 118:24
This is the day the
Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
