Yesterday afternoon one of my friend’s little boys was very upset because some other kids were not being very nice. I tried everything I could to bring out his precious smile but he wasn’t playing the game. They hurt him and he needed time to be upset.
I was about to walk away when I felt the urge to tell him what I’d tell an adult, regardless if he was only 7 years old. I knelt down to his level and said, “Hurt people hurt people. Whoever hurt you today is not feeling so good about themselves. I know it doesn’t feel good but don’t let them steal your joy. Only YOU decide who can make you upset with their words and actions.”
With his head still down he nodded in acknowledgment.
It’s interesting that this morning I ran into my own little moment of allowing someone else’s bad mood to steal away my joy. I had spent the early morning hour in prayer, worked out and when I walked in the backdoor I saw my dog, Bailey, was acting as if she hadn’t eaten so I asked my husband who was in the bathroom, “Has Bailey eaten?”
“Yeesss!” He called out in a very perturbed and rude manner.
“Geeze, what’s your problem this morning?” I questioned and didn’t get a response. I was certain Ryan had probably just asked him the same question but I didn’t know that when I asked.
I sat on the couch and fumed. Just his tone of voice made me want to lash out and say, “You can’t talk to me like that! How was I supposed to know she’d eaten or you’d been bothered?” Physically I could feel my face fall into a frown and my body tense up.
Then I remembered what I’d just read during adoration from “The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic” by Matthew Kelly. He was explaining that a ‘dynamic Catholic’ makes a habit of beginning the day in prayer because it starts the day of on the ‘right foot’ and can keep little things from making a day go awry. Kelly writes, “If a day doesn’t get off to a good start it rarely finishes as a good day. Once a day gets away from us we tend to go into survival mode. A day can get away from us in many ways. In fact, a day will almost certainly go wrong unless we consciously take the time to focus the day first thing each morning.”
He goes on to explain that the best days begin in prayer, when we can focus and center ourselves before the day begins. Well, I did that and yet I was literally feeling my day slip way from me because of one very silly exchange. So I thought about the little boy yesterday and realized I needed to practice what I preached. I chose to not allow it to steal my joy and ruin my day. 🙂
Don’t allow any one to steal your joy. Take your frustration, pain, hurt or bruised feelings to God and center yourself in His love for you.
Blessings
Shannon