Some days I wonder if I am back in kindergarten, unable to get my shoes on the right feet before I head out the door. When my day starts off like that, it seems it continues, and ends, in the same manner. There are more than a few days where I get up late, or forget my coffee, or can’t decide on the perfect outfit, or all of those mishaps in the same morning; and it all but ruins my day! It all just turns out to be a series of unfortunate events.
When it seems as if Murphy’s Law is what guides us through our day (everything that can go wrong will go wrong), we should make a new plan to set our default response to prayer instead. When things bump into our “happy”, instead of the typical “not again!” response, we could first try thanking God for the joy He abundantly gives us. Proverbs 17:22 says that a joyful heart is good medicine. If we allow it, that joy “pill” can be an extended-release medication for our world-weary soul. A joyful heart means less stress. Who doesn’t want less stress? Sometimes, however, we have to intentionally swallow that joy pill, purposefully changing our heart to stay in that happy place. If your happy day is threatened by a long line at the drive-thru or a cranky driver in the Walmart parking lot, stop and pray. Thank God for every good and perfect gift. That prayer of gratitude is all you need to set your mind back on the mend.
Philippians 4:6 tells us to not fret about anything-prayer and thanksgiving are the best prescription out there. If your default response to stressful events is prayer, you, my friend, can rest in the fact that by bringing our thankfulness and our requests for peace and joy to the Good Doctor, your anxiety and stress will surely lessen. Paul also wrote in the next verse to the Philippians that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So the next time your “happy” gets knocked out of place, rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12).
-Written by Ann Dugger