It was a beautiful spring morning in May this day. The sun was shining and the sea gulls were talking their talk reminding me I live on the coast. I was walking out of Panera today with my two dollar cup of coffee after a long week of being terribly sick. Even though I was still sick, I decided to put a smile on my face and walked out into the parking lot. This older gentleman and his father were getting out of their car and I smiled. He spoke. He said, "You look very cheery today." and I said, "I'm actually very sick." He said, "Well, I don't know if I could handle you if you were all better because you look so happy!" In that moment I thought...we all have the same 24 hours in our day and we can wake up and choose to be mean or grumpy or in a sore mood or angry because of whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.
Or... we can be happy and thankful. I could have been sour and not smiled because of how I physically was feeling. But how could I? The sun was shining. It was warm. I had breath in my lungs and a cup of coffee in my hands. I have alive kids and healthy kids and wonderful friends and a great job. or even just a job. Stop. Think about your perspective. We can share the light shining through us in just a simple smile in the Panera Bread parking lot to someone else. We have free will and we get to choose our perspective daily. We choose. I hope that you choose God's light and make it shine ever so brightly through your simple smile to others because of your perspective.
Galatians 5:22-23 "...but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control..."
Nehemiah 8:10 "...for the joy of the Lord is our strength"
Psalm 16:11 "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalm 23:6 "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."