2022 September #2
By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF)
We seem to hear a lot of griping and complaining about pretty much everything these days.
The constant robocalls on our phone…
Who’s running for the next election…
The crazy drivers around us…
The price of groceries…
The price of gas…
On and on, there always seems to be something going on that does not agree with our ideas of how things should be.
The more we talk about it, the bigger the issues grow, and we find ourselves upset.
It’s a choice, though.
Do we want to be upset? Do we want to complain all day long?
Or, do we want to enjoy a peace-filled day?
This time of year begins to move us into the frame of mind of remembering to be thankful, which, in turn, fills us with peace.
Many circumstances and events have come into each of our lives during this last year. Some may have been upsetting, but most likely, some were very happy. During either of those times, it’s a good idea to stop and recognize that…
Being thankful is a mindset.
For example, we can be thankful that we are able to take in air as we breathe, no matter where we are located or what our situation is.
Choosing to be grateful and thankful truly can change the way our day goes.
Having a heart full of gratitude can help us cope with whatever life has thrown at us. Even when upsetting things occur, we can stop a moment, and appreciate the good things around us.
Consider the example of when a dog runs out in front of us while we are driving our vehicle home from the grocery store. He plops himself on the street right in front of us. We slam on our brakes, causing everything we had sitting on our seats to fly to the floorboards. We are immediately upset. Why didn’t someone have that dog in their fenced yard? Why don’t people take care of their animals? Why is that dog on the street WE are driving on? Then, out of the corner of our eye, we notice a small, toddler-aged child appearing from behind a bush, walking aimlessly toward the busy street. We might have hit that child with our vehicle if the dog had not caused us to stop. So, the dog running into the street wound up being a good thing.
All of a sudden, we are very thankful that the dog ran out in front of us.
Of course, not all circumstances have an immediate turn-around like that example. But, the point is still the same. We can choose which direction our thoughts will take us: negative or positive…unthankful or thankful.
Thinking on the good in life can also help change any negative emotions into positive emotions. Which, in turn, can improve our state of well-being.
When we are stuck in a negative rut, everything around us seems to be upsetting. Nothing seems to be going right. No one seems to be doing what they are supposed to be doing. No one sees what we are going through. We tend to focus on ourselves more when we do not seek the positive to dwell on.
Emotions are powerful. Thinking on the positive lightens our mood, causing our whole demeanor to change. It helps us see possibilities surrounding our circumstance, and gives us hope for change going in the right direction. We may even begin to feel thankful for the circumstance we are in – if it will guide us toward a brighter future.
As we choose to be thankful, we can influence those around us to do the same. That’s our goal as we work with the homeless guests who come to our campus. Our staff works hard and strives to turn a negative situation into a transformed, positive situation in the lives of those who have lost so much.
We are very thankful for those who have a heart for the homeless, as we do. We appreciate the assistance sent in to help us provide encouragement to our guests. Whether it’s volunteered time, or donated items or funds, we are grateful for any effort spent toward our ministry to care for the homeless of our area.
