Compliments can come in the most unusual places. Like a birthday card.
I received the sweetest birthday card last year from a good girlfriend of mine. Inside she wrote, “Happy Birthday to the only girl I know that never seems to have a bad day.”
Those words struck deep into my heart and into my soul. The idea that my spirit and my life exuded anything on a regular and daily basis that expressed I was having a perpetually good day was both exhilarating and terrifying to me.
No one wants to be “Debbie Downer,” living the kind of life full of drama and despair that makes people avoid making eye contact and engaging with you. So no, no Debbie Downer life for me.
But I also don’t want people to see me as fake, because CLEARLY I have days that, let’s just say, aren’t the best.
I read and reread Janice’s words, and there was nothing in them to insinuate anything other than what she said: I appear to be the girl who is always having a good day.
I thought on that. What allows me to live life like it’s always a good day? And I came up with two things.
First, it is my hope. Specifically, my hope in Jesus Christ. I know you may be reading this and you aren’t a follower of Christ, but stick with me here a minute. The knowledge that Jesus loves me enough to die for me (John 3:16) and that He wants me to live an abundant life in Him (John 10:10) is enough to inspire me, refresh me and keep me going on the rainiest of days. I may not know why bad things happen or have answers to all the questions, but I know who does and I have seen his faithfulness in my life. That gives me hope.
My life verse is Jeremiah 29:11, which says, “I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
There it is. Hope.
My hope plays into the other reason for my good days – choice. I keep a sticky note on my desk which reads, “I don’t have time for a bad day, only a bad moment.”
I can’t pinpoint exactly where and when I heard that sentence, but I think about it often. The great college football coach Lou Holtz said life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it. It’s all in our choice.
Bad things are going to happen. A series of bad things could happen. It’s in those moments you get to make the choice to allow those less-than-desireable circumstances to ruin an entire day, or to acknowledge it for what it is, be mad or sad or both for a moment, and then move on. Good days are made by choice.
Moving on means unpacking some of that hope to remind you this bad moment doesn’t define anything more than the moment. There will be other moments. Better moments. When your life is deeply rooted into a bed of hope, you are able to move past a difficult moment and still have a good day.
Being hopeful doesn’t make you foolish. I love how Romans 5:5 reads in the New International Version of the Bible: “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into your hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” There is no shame in having hope. I don’t know about you, but I rather enjoy being a glass half-full person.
Hope – it’s what makes for good days and makes bad days bearable. No matter what you believe or where you are in life, everyone can use a little more hope.
That’s why I write this blog. What’s the use of having all of this hope and not sharing it? This place, the Good Day Community, is one of hope, where you can share it and receive it. As a community, we have the ability to bring hope to each other. I’m glad you’re here.
Now anchor your hope and choose to make it a great day!
Kelly Weaver says
Hope and choice… seems so easy! Thanks Julie!!! XOXO
Julie says
Isn’t it always the easiest things that seem the hardest? =)