The time had come for an elderly lady to move out of her beautiful home, which she had enjoyed for so many years, into a nursing home.
“I love my new room,” she told her friend.
“How can you say that?” the friend asked. “You haven’t even seen it yet.”
“Oh, I just made up my mind ahead of time to love my room,” she said.
Wow. I would not have that attitude. I would want to see it before I give my opinion. Is it too small? Too institutional-looking? Not enough light? What about drawer space? Does it seem as if it might be too hot or cold in there? What’s the window view? What color are the walls? And the bed? Is it comfortable?
Instead, she decided ahead of time, in her mind, to be happy,” Joyce Meyer wrote about this woman in her book How to Age Without Growing Old.
This dear lady could have allowed herself to be depressed and dwell on all she was leaving behind, but she chose optimism instead.
With her attitude, I suspect that she even looked for and found advantages over her former situation once she moved into her new digs. I bet that she quickly made new friends and enjoyed the social life. Perhaps the musicians and others who came into the facility to cheer and help the elderly blessed her. And I wouldn’t be surprised if she became a blessing to many around her and taught them by example to take a brighter outlook.
No, I doubt that I would have her good attitude, but I wish I could approach more things in life that way. I do not want to lean toward negativity, complaining, and discontent. When things change that I’m not thrilled about, I’d like to embrace them like that lady did.
Positive thinking alone will not make us continual overcomers who see the bright side. I believe that only Jesus’ powerful enabling presence in our lives does that.
And where was Paul when he penned the above words to the Philippians? In a dismal jail cell. What an example for all of us.
Elisabeth Elliott wrote, “It is always possible to be thankful for what is given rather than to complain about what is not given. One or the other becomes a habit of life.”
Ask God to help you choose a positive outlook on your circumstances.
A Wisconsin native, Lauri Lemke Thompson lives in the lovely Ozark Mountains in Branson, Missouri. She is active in Christian Women’s Connection (Stonecroft) and the Ozarks Chapter of the American Christian Writers. Her two books, Hitting Pause and Pressing Forward, are collections of her columns, articles, and devotions. Her bimonthly column appears in the Branson Globe newspaper.