In the small moments of everyday life, the thoughtless actions of others often crush our feelings. Someone cuts in line or we are ignored, and hurt hearts writhe. However, by God's grace I am learning to focus on the good within these tiny injustices by extracting the joys hidden in the challenges. I encourage you to do the same; you will be surprised how it can turn a negative moment into an inspiring glimpse of life. Though the following is not a complete list, I want to share just a few ways I have found joy in negative moments.
To the person who took my parking space, thank you for reminding me that I'm blessed with the ability to walk.
To the bicyclist who made me five minutes late, thank you for slowing me down and letting me notice the fiery autumn leaves.
To the people who made eye contact with me but didn't stop while I was waiting at the crosswalk, thank you for the moments you forced upon me to breathe deeply the crisp morning air.
To the person who let the door slam in my face, thank you for inspiring me to wait an extra moment to hold the door for the person behind me.
To the person who did not keep their word, thank you for reminding me of the value of Christ, my constant and unfailing Savior.
To the person who spoke harshly, thank you for giving me an opportunity to respond softly and gently with self-control.
To the person who belittled another person, thank you for allowing me to show love, a contrast, to that person.
Unfortunately, I still have, and will always have, moments where small things happen and I immediately snap—I go from carefree to distraught in a second. However, wherever you find yourself, I encourage you to pause before you allow the frustrations of life to influence your attitude. Bad moments do not automatically engender bad attitudes and bad days. Certainly moments will frustrate us. After all, injustices should not be ignored, and we should carefully check how our actions impact others. Yet, in a society where lashing out and spewing hateful comments are the typical response to injustice, hurt and frustration, I propose taking a moment to find the good, the opportunity, within moments that may first appear hurtful.
