We all know that our attitude affects our feelings and behavior. A positive attitude brings about inner peace; a negative attitude adds to frustrations and inner turmoil. Is there anything we can do to develop a consistent, positive attitude, no matter the chaos that may be going on around us? Absolutely! I actually grasped this concept after watching the film Pollyanna. I like the old version staring Hayley Mills. Many of you will be familiar with this well-known classic.
In the story, a child named Pollyanna changes the outlook of an entire town by teaching them the power of being glad. In one scene she tells the story of how her family, being missionaries, had received a surprise package. She had so hoped to receive a doll, but instead, by mistake, she received a pair of crutches. “That’s when I learned the Glad Game,” she told her listeners. “What’s there to be glad about a pair of crutches?” one astonished woman asks. Pollyanna replies, “Well, I could be glad that I didn’t have to use them.”
The notion of developing a glad or thankful heart is mentioned all through God’s Word. You no doubt have your own favorite verse about being thankful. Mine is found in I Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” Our Heavenly Father, in His vast love for us, desires that we have that “feel good all over” feeling no matter what aggravation or sadness may knock on our doors. Of course we perceive these emotions, but neither frustration nor grief need overcome us. Instead, we may, with the help of the Holy Spirit within every child of God, rise above. How? Simply by practicing the art of being thankful. Playing the Glad Game is profitable to each one of us.
I have a cousin who shared a great thought this week. She suggested — everyday think of something good that has happened. Then write it down and put it in a jar. At the end of the year you can be reminded of all the blessings that took place in your life that year. I thought, one can call it the — “Count Your Blessings” jar. That’s not a bad way to begin playing the Glad Game.
Yesterday was Thanksgiving in the hearts of Americans. May everyday be a thankful one for each of us. A thankful heart makes for a thankful attitude which brings peace to fill the most hurting places within.