"A Cheerful Heart is Good Medicine"

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus" 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Do everything without complaining and arguing." Philippians 2:14

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength." Proverbs 17:22

Today didn't start out too good. My son had been sick all weekend and this morning his fever was back up and the rash was from his cheeks to his ankles. The doctor couldn't see him early enough for my husband to watch our daughter, but thankfully a good friend offered to watch her for me. I realized on the way to the doctor that there was a chance I might not get back in time to pick my daughter up from my friends house before she had to leave to pick up her son from preschool. (This wouldn't have been a big deal except she drives a small car that won't fit three car seats, and not to mention I didn't leave my car seat with her anyhow.) So that added to my irritation and feeling of being rushed. My son was diagnosed with Strep and sent home with a prescription for penicillin. (Yes I did get back to my friends house before she had to leave!) Then I couldn't find my prescription card at the pharmacy so it took another thirty minutes to get in touch with the right person at our insurance company who could help me figure things out. To top if off my blood sugar was running low (I'm borderline hypoglycemic) and I was feeling very weak, which always makes things seem worse.

Why share all this, you may be asking? This sure doesn't seem encouraging or uplifting! I share this because life happens. Our days are filled with tedious, annoying situations that we so often just react to without taking time to focus on the Lord or pray. I realized as I was searching for a passage of scripture today that instead of getting so irritated and worked up I should have taken just one moment in the midst of my grumblings and prayed and remembered these verses from God's Word. Being thankful is not just for the big things in life, it's for the small, seemingly insignificant things too. Being thankful changes your whole outlook, your whole day. I could have looked at it like this... I have an awesome friend who watched my daughter so I could focus on my sick son. My son, though sick, is extremely chipper and happy today. The strep isn't keeping him down. I got to have some one on one conversation time with him on the way to the doctor which is rare when you are a stay at home mom with more than one child! God did get me back to my friends house before she had to leave. The prescription situation did work out and we got his medicine for next to nothing, and we are all home happy and safe. And to top it off it's a GORGEOUS day here today. Sunny, mid sixties and the windows are open. A cheerful spirit really does do wonders for the soul. Grumpiness and complaining only wears away at our mental and emotional energy and does nothing good for anyone. I hope next time, when another not so ideal situation comes up I will remember to take a moment and turn my thoughts to Christ and not to the situation.