At the supermarket a few months ago, I accepted my meat from the young man at the deli counter and said, “Have a great day.” He grinned and said, “No, you make it a great day.”
That thought hit me so hard that we made it our family theme. When my husband leaves for work or the boys go to school we say, “Make it a great day.”
It’s a choice we all have to make each day. Am I going to smile, be positive, and make it a great day or am I going to let situations or people derail my happiness?
The Lord wants us to be happy. Yes, we were sent here to be tried and tested, but I believe one of the things we need to learn through the trials is how to keep our smile intact even through the hard times.
Last year, I cut off three of my fingers in a lawnmower. Very dumb. Extremely gruesome. My sister couldn’t believe how upbeat I was in the emergency room. She thinks I have some kind of amazing attitude, but truly it was because I couldn’t stop thinking how grateful and very blessed I was. It wasn’t one of my three sons that got hurt. Sure, my hand looked funny and I had to learn to type again without my middle finger – the only one they couldn’t sew back on – but my babies were safe and healthy and every time I thought of that I would cry with gratitude.
So, that is my first tip for making it a great day – Thank the Lord for your blessings.
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
Whenever I feel depressed, picked on, frustrated with my situation, I go into my bedroom, drop to my knees and start saying thank you. After several minutes and a lengthy list of my many blessings I usually feel ready to reattach my smile and handle life’s demands.
Another thing I’ve found that can make it a great day is to serve others.
“When you find yourselves a little gloomy, look around you and find somebody that is in a worse plight than yourself; go to him and find out what the trouble is, then try to remove it with the wisdom which the Lord bestows upon you; and the first thing you know, your gloom is gone, you feel light, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, and everything seems illuminated.” President Lorenzo Snow
“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” James Barrie
One last idea to help us make it a great day is to laugh. Life is so serious. Sometimes we just need to laugh and lighten it up a bit.
“The next time you’re tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable.” Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
I want to testify to all of you that the Lord loves you and he wants you to be happy. In John 16:20, the Savior tells the disciples, “ . . . your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
I know this life is hard, my prayer for you is that you can rise above the sorrow, smile, serve and love and allow the Lord to turn your sorrow to joy.
Cami Checketts is the author of “The Broken Path” and “The Fourth of July.” Please refer to her website www.camichecketts.com and her blog http://fitmommas.blogster.com for more articles and information.
9 comments:
Cami,
Thanks for the inspiration! One time when I went through a particularly tough patch in life, I found myself too resentful about what I didn't have to truly appreciate my blessings - no matter how many times I counted them! So I started collecting Bible verses and quotes about hope instead. I found that it took my mind off present misery and led me to visualize a brighter future. I keep the verses in a notebook and have read them over many times when I needed encouragement.
Kara
What a wonderful idea, Kara.
I hope I didn't sound too idealistic. I know there are a lot of people who have gone through trials I could not imagine or endure, but I truly believe that the Lord is there for us and wants us to be happy.
Blessings to you,
Cami
Cami,
I agree. It was my state of mind that needed changing, not anything else. It's just that at that time, my usual method - keeping a gratitude journal - didn't work for me. I guess I needed to find a new way of thinking about things to help me reconnect with God.
Kara
I think it's a wonderful way, Kara. You're a great inspiration to me.
Cami, I know how challenging life can be. After a long and winding road of heartache, I have learned to count my blessings. I am inspired by the people in my life that make it a better place. And I am inspired by your story. Nothing is better therapy than the gift of laughter. Keep on smiling!
Sharon
How uplifting. Thanks for some cheery thoughts.
Thanks Sharon and Danielle.
I think you're very right, Sharon. Learning from those around us is the best thing we can do. I've been very blessed with positive people who help me remember to smile.
So true, Cami. The people in my life make all the difference. I feel very fortunate and very blessed to live in an age of modern technology. Thanks to computers with adaptive software and books on tape, I am able to pursue my dream of writing and my love of reading. All the best,
Sharon.
Cami,
This hit me square between the eyes today. I am normally an upbeat person, but for some reason I have felt like I could easily cry all day. Those hormones must have really taken a nosedive.
Thanks for reminding me how much I have to be thankful for. You are definitely rooted and grounded in the Lord, or you wouldn't have breezed through that finger-wacking ordeal.
Hang on to your humor. And thank you for posting this. Who knows--it may have been written just for me? LOL
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