One of Those Days

So today was one of THOSE days.

Everybody and everything got on my nerves.

I think it's probably because I talked about joy yesterday...

Even though I listened to sermons as I crossed things off of my to do list, and even though last night's Bible study was about having joy in whatever...

I still crack under pressure. I become passive aggressive and snippety and am not the great light that I want to be.

I'm reminded of Paul's verse in Romans. "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."

And I do hate it.

I feel guilty and then that makes me feel worse.

I'm reminded that joy is a choice. I have to choose to look at the bright side of things. It's not that we should live in a world of denial.  We have to face our problems. However, we don't have to dwell on them. We don't have to allow them to dictate our mood.

But I do sometimes.

And I'm not sure why.

Tonight I'm reminded of the connection between being joyful and being grateful. I'm reminded that when I start looking at all of the things that are right in my world, it's easy not to focus on the things that seem wrong.

Like a win with two of our starters on the bench with 5 fouls with 5 minutes to go... and those other players stepping up and playing as a team.

Like laughing with Caleb on the way home as we make up songs, even though we had been fighting like cats and dogs the whole evening.

Like brown butter cookies and diet coke.

I often question so many of the "made up holidays"... sibling day and national ice cream day. Tomorrow is national bubble bath day... which I think sounds lovely.

Tonight, though, as I was thinking about that, I realized that we need something to celebrate. It's easy to get stuck in that negativity.  We make up holidays to celebrate so that we can appreciate things better.

Kind of silly, when you think about it, because we have the most special thing ever to celebrate... and being appreciative is just a matter of thinking of all He has done for us.

Thank You, Jesus. Help me hang on to You and fill me with Your joy.

(And, just so you know, January 8th is National JoyGerm Day... spread the germ of joy and kindness!)