FAY ROWE

Because you don’t always feel like it.

Some days I wake up, the sun is shining, the snow is melting, and I just feel good. Happy, hopeful. Looking at the good in life comes easy, maybe because what IS in my face right then is pleasant. There may still be things going on personally that aren’t the best, and world affairs haven’t changed one iota, but, for some reason, I can deal with it. God is good; I can do all things through his strength and a smile shapes my mouth without my having to think about it.

But other days, like today, I have to choose. I woke up to conditions that were pretty much like any other day, but something that concerned me yesterday was the first thing that popped into my head. Ruined the day, right off. The grey outside my window agreed with my state of mind, Facebook brought friends’ troubles to the forefront, and, oh yes, the world is still in trouble.

I knew I had a choice to make, and because Jesus told me, “Don’t LET your heart be troubled,” and “My peace I give to you,” I knew I must have the power to choose and peace must be available to be had.

So I did; I chose. I did it with my words.

I chose what would affect my outlook and the rest of my day by choosing to say, out loud, what He had already said about me and about every one of my days, and, on purpose, I thought about it for a while. Mulled it over, meditated on it. Instead of that other thing.

Some days, you just have to.

“Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and feed on his faithfulness,” (Psalm 37:3).