I was looking back over some of my posts, and I was struck by how negative they were. Maybe this is my reaction to the times in which we live, or maybe it’s what I think others find interesting. I’m not sure.
It is certainly true that there is a lot going on in the world that bothers me. It could be that those things fire me up enough to write about them. But today I’ve decided to change my tactics. I decided to write about the good stuff — the stuff that doesn’t make the headlines, or cause me to scratch my head in disbelief.
Let me start with something easy. I slept last night. That doesn’t always happen anymore, but when it does it feels great. I remember reading a little, and then it was morning. Magic.
Then I went outside and the sun was shining. I took a walk and there was a breeze that cooled off the heat of the day.
I had a conversation (in Spanish) with a woman who was telling me about her chickens. I mentioned that my sister-in-law had chickens, and she asked me how many. I said six or seven. She looked at me with a strange look and said, six or seven hundred? No, I said, just six or seven. She laughed. Then she told me they had two hundred. In their backyard. Then we both laughed.
Every time I go to lead a group at the orphanage, the kids there make me smile. This week one of the little girls was losing a tooth. It was loose, and she kept wiggling it. All the other children had ideas about how to pull it out — “Tie it with a string!” “Get a tool!” “Chew some gum!” The tooth finally came out on its own, and she proudly displayed her gap-toothed smile. Every time I think of that smile, I smile myself.
God spoke today in flowers, and I, who was waiting on words, almost missed the conversation.
— Ingrid Goff-Maidoff
At lunch, I drank a Coke. A real Mexican Coca-cola. (They do taste different here. Real sugar.) It is an elixir from on high. There is nothing like the taste of a real Coke. (I’d like to teach the world to sing. In perfect harmony …)
I got a head cold while I was in Mexico, and I felt lousy, so I skipped a group meal. About a half-hour later, there was a knock on my door. When I answered, there was the cook’s husband with a plate of food for me. I was touched that they recognized that I wasn’t there, and they went out of their way to take care of me. (And the enchiladas were delicious.)
Then my wife called. There’s nothing like the voice of someone who loves you. She lifts me up.
Confusing as it can be, when you read the news from a certain angle, lots of people are trying to find ways to live together. Everyone wants their children to grow up with more opportunities, safety, and a higher standard of living. We differ on how to achieve these things, but we want the same outcomes.
I lead a peace vigil at my church each month, and I am struck by how many people are working hard to make the world a better, safer place. They are protesting and legislating and influencing. People are pointing out injustice and working to make our systems better.
Have you ever gone to a restaurant for the first time, and then for weeks after you went, you see those restaurants everywhere? You became aware of the restaurant. After that, you were able to see them, even though they were likely always there. The same thing is true of finding positive things to notice in our lives. When you have the mindset to look for something good, you will be more able to find it.
Ok. See, I can be positive. Now I’ll go back to my regularly scheduled blogposts.
