Yes, sad days and bad times visit us.
Yes, life is difficult.
Yes, we sometimes feel overwhelmed.
But, so much good is nearby.
God cares deeply. He never leaves us or abandons us. He hears us, helps us, loves us.
Our minds often list the negatives.
Let’s choose to write the many positives. Today.
Good things are happening all around us. We shouldn’t live in denial of our sadness or the bad news. But neither should we be controlled by it.
What has brought sadness your way recently? How have you responded? What healthy steps can you take to deal appropriately with that sadness?
What good things are in your life that you often ignore? How can you better appreciate and celebrate them?
Begin today with a better awareness of the many good parts of your life story.
Hope is near.
God is here.
Welcome the good news—even when shedding a few tears.
I think it is honestly so easy to just focus on negatives because you get in that headspace and are just stuck. It seems like no energy is required to go from positive to positive or positive to negative, but all of a sudden trying to go from negative to positive it requires so much effort. And to make it worse if you are stuck there, it’s almost like there’s a gravitation pull to bring people down to where you are, even if you don’t mean to. But all it really takes is one person to come by and completely turn it around. The catch though is the person stuck in negativity has to be open to accepting to positivity.
I like how you talked about how life’s challenges and sadness are inevitable, but they coexist with goodness. This blog, for me, emphasises the importance of recognising and embracing the positives in life while acknowledging that there are difficulties. it also encourages us to shift our focus from negativity to gratitude, knowing fully that while it’s easy to dwell on hardships, hope and positivity are always present. By fostering awareness of the good, even in tough times, one can cultivate a healthier outlook.
I love how you talked about how there is so much good going on around us. There are so many times that people will focus on only the negatives in their lives and not appreciate the good. I can not do this, if I do I will end up spiraling. I have to find the positives out I will never get anywhere in life. Focusing on the negatives cause so much stress and I do not like stress at all. Finding the positives help to bring myself peace. I know that God is looking out for me at all times, even when life get tough HE IS THERE!
Something that stuck out to me in this piece of poetry is how you discuss the importance of not being controlled by the negativity of life. We should not live in denial of it but we should be optimistic. The love and care that God has for us allow us to endure the difficulty and move through it. God may not take us out of hard situations but he promises to stay with us while we endure it. He works all things together for our good. He does not cause hardships but we can have peace that we are overcomers and that God is in control and desires to take the negative things and turn them for good. My joy comes from the hope that Christ gives me. We have to notice the small good things that make living life so beautiful, not just the big things. There is so much more beauty in life when we take joy in the small victories.
Speaking for myself, I tend to make some small negatives and turn them into huge ones. I forget about the little victories and get down when I don’t see big victories. I am the type of person who sees the details but focus on the big picture when God already has the big picture in His hands. He gives us it all and we only want to see some of it. I need to look closer on my small victories because I trust who has it all.
There have been so many times in my life where I find myself focusing on the negative and letting those affect me and my days. I love the way that you stressed the importance of remembering that the Lord listens to us and never leaves. I’ve experienced and felt the goodness and the presence of the Lord so I know that I should not let the negatives take what the joy and goodness the God gives. When I have joy, I am stronger through the rough times and as I lean on the Lord I truly feel the difference. My testimony is living proof of God and there is so much that I can testify about His love.
Large defeats almost always seem to cast a shadow over small victories. I pray that I not only take more notice of those small victories but that I also remember that God is in them; He is in the still, small whisper.
I like that you reminded us that it is okay to acknowledge the things which are difficult and sad. We cannot avoid them or pretend they don’t exist by covering them with a toxic positivity. However, we shouldn’t be controlled by it. Making a decision to allow ourselves to feel the bad, yet simultaneously choose to focus on the good. The good things we miss in the hurry. There is so much to be grateful for in the midst of the difficult.
I am reading this at a very prevalent moment in my life. Over the past few weeks sadness has ruled my mind, and I have not been able to move past it. Through this experience, I have felt a roller coaster of emotions. From a circumstance with a best friend to the transition from college sadness has been something I have constantly been thinking about. This blog reminded me that even when I’m sad, even when it’s hard, even when I don’t feel like it, I have to choose to think of the things that God has given me. To think about what he has blessed me with. I have to think about his nearness and not push him away to isolation. Today, I’m grateful for that reminder.