Clouds in Our Lives

By and large, we create our own happiness or our own misery.  Yes, there are many things beyond our control that we have to deal with, but our attitude determines our happiness.

Some days, we have the luxury of feeling great and energetic; every event seems to go our way.  No one cuts us off in traffic.  The line is short at the grocery and the clerk is not a trainee.  No bills arrive in the mail.  Our family or friends don't call with even slightly bad news.  Wonderful!

But life is not perennially great.  There are the days we may wake up with a headache and everything goes downhill from there.  Nothing seems to go our way.  It's like there are angry black clouds over our heads which won't go away.

Usually, our days may be a mixture of nice and not-so-nice happenings.  We know there will be less desirable events.  We do our best to plan and prevent major adverse events but many things are going to hurt us.  Hopefully, the hurts won't be terrible and long-lasting.  We WILL have to deal with them all.

Our happiness and, at times, our very survival depends on our own personal outlook, our attitude: do we have HOPE that life will be good in our future?  Do we believe that, no matter what happens to us or our families, that GOD will bring GOOD out of it?  Or, do we sincerely believe that, no matter what we do, bad things are always going to happen?

Do you think that having hope, believing with all your heart, that even in the bad times, God is with us, sometimes 'carrying' us, and good times will return, is unrealistic or 'Pollyanna-ish' or even stupid?  Do people who see the good in everything bother you?  Perhaps you need to re-consider your attitude.  You may be depressed or you simply may have a pessimistic attitude.

Research has proven that those with optimistic attitudes feel better and live longer.  This is a bit cerebral, not so black-and-white, but something to consider when we have time: How optimistic am I?

Dear Lord, sometimes it is hard to know that YOU are in control of us all.  That is wonderful!  You are all-knowing and all-loving!  Even when others SIN against us, or when we are the victims of our own sins, you love us and help us if we just ask you.  Help us think of you in both the good times and in the bad times.  We know you love us!