Happiness Comes In Fractions - Revisited

This was originally posted on 08/28/2008.

 

Have you ever had a perfectly wonderful day? You know the kind where you wake up happy and everything falls into place and nobody rubs you wrong and it's smooth sailing and the sun is shining, and your grass is greener than the neighbor's, etc, etc, etc. I'm sure I've had some, but more often than not something happens that breaks the happy mood....sometimes before it even begins! Usually nothing of any real consequence....just little bummers along the way.

 

I woke up late for work on Tuesday ~ really late ~ I woke up almost an hour after I should have been there! My laptop was giving me fits Tuesday evening. I am oftentimes computer challenged and it was one of those times. I cut my thumb last night. It was pretty deep and bleeding a lot. Bummer, bummer, bummer. But each little bummer was followed up by burst of nice, a tiny glimmer of hope, a little fraction of happiness. My boss and my co-workers knew why I overslept and they were sympathetic and compassionate with regard to my tardiness. My son (the computer geek I've mentioned) was able to fix my computer glitch and then provided even more help (thanks Kevin). As for the bloody thumb ~ Bill, his Dad & Mandy were all concerned, each showing it in their own way.

 

 

 

 

You want a perfectly wonderful day? Good luck with that. They don't generally just happen. But we can do our part to make sure each one ends up that way. Don't focus on the whole. Look for those "fractions of happiness" along the way.

The smile of a stranger you pass in the store; the car that gives you "cuts in line"; the sun shining or the rain falling ~ we need both you know. The mail coming on time; finding the gas station with the cheap gas; hearing I love you; having your work caught up at the end of the day and coming home to dinner on the table (that in itself makes me happy ~ thanks Mandy). Not having to wait at the doctor's office; a really good sale on anything; prayers with your children ~ more "fractions of happiness" that all add up to a "perfectly wonderful day"!

 

I think that tomorrow when I'm going to work and the big, yellow, school bus ends up in front of me, instead of feeling a little impatient at all the stopping and going, I'll spend that time praying for the driver, the students and the teachers they'll have throughout the day. Talking to the Lord equals a big "fraction of happiness"!

This is the day the LORD has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24