I can say, "Ugh, it's snowing again. Do I have to shovel the sidewalk again?"
Or I can say, "It's snowing again. Perfect day for the kids to build a snowman."
I can say, "We argued again last night. Our marriage is on the rocks."
Or I can say, "We argued again last night. We're finally learning how to be open and honest with each other."
I can say, "I got laid off yesterday. How could they do that to me?"
Or I can say, "I got laid off yesterday. Maybe this is the nudge I needed to try something new."
I can say, "My child just left for college. The house feels so empty."
Or I can say, "My child just left for college. They're beginning their own adventure."
I can say, "My waistline is out of control. I must be out of shape."
Or I can say, "My waistline is out of control. I'm going to do something about it."
I can say, "I lost my spouse. Whatever am I going to do?"
Or I can say, "I lost my spouse. God has given me the gift of singleness and I will use it for his glory."
Facts don't change. What can change is our perspective. I can say, "This weight loss journey I'm on sure is taking a long time. When will I ever succeed?" Or I can say, "This weight loss journey I'm on sure is taking a long time. But most good things in life take time." I love what Arthur Gordon says in his book A Touch of Wonder.
One day he met the famous American novelist Margaret Mitchell. She was in the process of writing her next book. Everything was going splendidly until she read the manuscript of Stephen Vincent Benet's masterful retelling of the Civil War. Ms. Mitchell was so intimidated by Benet's depth and style that she felt paralyzed. She said Benet "gave me such a terrible case of the humbles that it was months before I could find the necessary faith in myself." Funny thing is, she wrote Gone with the Wind (30 million copies worldwide) and nobody has ever heard of John Brown's Body.
Moral of the story: Keep life in perspective and have faith even when things are tough.