I had another one of “THOSE DAYS”.  Nothing seemed to be going right.  Work was blah, personal life was even more blah.  Everything was going against me!  If you’ve ever had one of those days I’m sure you can relate.

God was having a hard time getting through—I was having NONE of that!  But God being faithful and just, waited for me to open the door, even a tiny crack, and let him in.  That crack happened the next morning during my devotion/study time.  The reading pointed me to Philippians 4:6-7:

            “Be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Life is going to throw things at us that really stink.  Life can be very hard at times and challenges can seem insurmountable.  These are the times that we need to rely on God and our faith to carry us.

Christ is always beside us just like the parent of a two year old, guiding our steps, steering us away from harm, catching us when we fall and most importantly loving us and caring for us when we choose not to follow His guidance.  He knows that we will fall and greets us with open, forgiving arms when we return.  God’s love is unconditional, what a wonderful thing!

Most of us fall back on our faith when life gets “catastrophic”-when we are faced with loss of a loved one, life threatening illness and or death.  But what about those times that all the little things seem to be piling up, like on “THOSE DAYS?”

Days like that I chalk up to “stinkin thinkin.”  When you wake up late and you’re rushing to get ready, the shower takes forever to warm up, then you spill your coffee with the hairdryer cord-Ugh!  The dress you wanted to wear you notice has a tear in the hem, you hit every red light on the way to your appointment and when you finally do arrive the person you are meeting with is running late!  How Rude!

We can carry this scenario throughout the entire day and share it with everyone we talk to, bringing more of the same into our day.  OR we can make a different choice, one where we stop the craziness.  The more we identify and focus on the crazy, the more we get, so the sooner we redirect our thinking, the better.

I have found when I catch myself “stinkin thinkin” I tell myself “STOP RIGHT THERE” and make myself think of something that I’m blessed with, even if it is something small.  Today some of those things are: a lanai to sit on and enjoy the beautiful morning with the birds singing, the sun shining, turtles in the canal and the delicious Chocolate Raspberry Truffle coffee I’m enjoying.

 

We aren’t perfect so there will be occasional “bad days” but for the most part the above practice has changed my life in ways I could not have imagined ten years ago.  It also helps me to not get caught up in other people’s crazy but I’ll save that story for another day.

Philipians 4:8

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  

Blessings!