Imagine this: You lost your job the day before Thanksgiving.  After being told you’ve been laid off, you get in your car to leave, but your car won’t start.  You’re supposed to be picking up your kids from school right now.  They’re waiting for you.  You call a tow truck and that costs two hundred dollars.  Two hundred dollars you could’ve spent on your kid’s Christmas presents or money you could’ve spent buying groceries for Thanksgiving dinner.  You call your spouse to tell them you were late to pick up the kids and your car broke down, ready to hear their frustration.  You pick up your kids in a rental car you got from the car shop, ready to hear their excited voices.  While they’re telling you all about their day, you find yourself drifting off in thought, thinking about how you lost your job, how you’re gonna tell your spouse, how you’re going to get a new job… when you notice your kids aren’t talking anymore.  So you make an effort to talk to them now about their classes, but their answers are not as animated as they once were.  As you look in the rearview mirror, their faces look sad.  Now you feel disappointed in yourself for being so invested in your own problems and not paying attention to them.  Once you get home, your spouse is flustered, getting the house ready for family coming over tomorrow for Thanksgiving.  You gain the courage to tell your spouse you lost your job and tears start to form in their eyes.  But what they say will change your whole perspective of the day.  “This sucks, but we’re gonna find a way through it together.  We have to stay positive and keep our faith.  There is a plan and a reason for this.  We don’t know what it is, but be thankful for who you have.  Me, our kids, your mom, your dad, friends, family, God.  Don’t let negativity take over your blessings.”

I think this is a story we all need to remember when something doesn’t go right or when we feel like everything is going wrong in our life.  Instead of being down because of a bad day, treat it like Thanksgiving.  Think of all your blessings, such as your family and friends and the life you have.  If we can do this, I think our whole perspective could change.