LOVE LIFE AND SEE GOOD DAYS!

In January I came across this phrase in 1Peter 3:10.  I didn't realize then how much it would impact my thoughts and outlook for 2012...you could say it has become my theme.  Shortly after that, I found a little book by Emily Freeman with the same title...coincidence?


We have all heard or told someone to "have a good day".  But think of the difference between these two sayings.  To me "have a good day" means that good things have to happen for me to have a good day.  So in this world of stress and disappointment, good days would be few and far between if circumstances dictated it.  But "see a good day" means ALL days can be good, I just need to change my perspective and look at my world and circumstances differently.  Seeing a good day often means looking at your life through God's grace and mercy.  If we look to see good days, we can see them in the midst of our hardships and trials, we can see good days in all our days.  


Let me give you a recent example in my life when I had to change my perceptive from "having a good day" to "seeing a good day".  
This past spring break it seemed like everyone I knew had gone somewhere on vacation.  I was jealous and grumbly and I am sure every time I spoke to Dan I complained about the fact that I was here and not in some exotic place.  How could I even have a good day in that situation.  When I realized what I was doing I quickly changed my attitude to try to see the good days of our spring vacation.  Here is what I saw; I was able to run at my favourite time of the day 3 times that week, I had the week off when many others were working, I was able to work in the yard because we had beautiful weather for most of the week, I was able to volunteer at the soup kitchen which I am never able to do because of work, I spent all afternoon one day engrossed in a book, and I spent some wonderful times with each of the boys.  Once I changed my perspective if could "SEE" how much I love life and I could see my good days.


This doesn't mean that my hardships and trials are gone.  I still have the stress that work, kids, marriage, family, obligations - all those other things we do every day - bring, but as I work to change my perspective I can follow Peter's council.


"For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile;"


To love life and see good days I need to stop complaining and comparing my life to others'.  


So this week don't "have a good day", that is not my wish for you, but "love life and see good days."