The
Bright Side of Life
Fierce gusts of frigid wind whipped through the air,
carrying with them huge snowflakes that danced and twirled in a white blur. The
Colorado skies opened up where we live and dumped more than two feet of snow in
an early autumn snowstorm, necessitating three consecutive days of school
closures. As my husband and I ventured out of our house five days later, we
were met with mounds of snow towering eight feet high and more, scattered all
over the city from plowing efforts. We were finally able to make our way to
church, picking up our granddaughter Amara, age six, along the way. As soon as
we backed out of her driveway, I couldn't help but comment on all the snow and
how bad the roads were at our house. How difficult it was to even get out of
our neighborhood. Amara's immediate response was simple yet profound: "Well, Nana, at least we're not living at the North
Pole!"
What? Another lesson to learn from a grandchild! Mine
keep me humble. I reflected on Amara’s comment later in the day. I believe her
point was, let’s look on the bright side of things. Yes, indeed.
I think the apostle Paul would appreciate Amara’s
outlook. He writes in Philippians 4:4 (NKJV), “Rejoice in the Lord always. I
will say it again; rejoice!” There must be something to this. Paul was urged to
repeat it. Paul affirms this again when he writes in Philippians 4:8 (NKJV), “Finally, brethren, whatever things
are true, whatever things are noble, whatever
things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever
things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there
is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on
these things.”
When we choose to look on the bright side of life,
we’ll empower ourselves to lead a happier, more fulfilling existence. We’ll be able to see our way out of darkness
into hope where we’ll not only survive but live our lives to the fullest.
As the new year begins, many of us are making
resolutions. We have various aspirations and goals in mind. Perhaps if we all
resolve to focus on the bright side of life, rejoicing in the Lord, we’d
experience more peace and joy. And what a better world we’d live in.
Becky Van Vleet
Becky Van Vleet is a retired teacher and principal and
award-winning multi-genre author. She has been published in Guideposts, The
Country Register, and Christian Devotions Ministry. Her children’s picture
books are the recipients of the 2020 Excellence in Editing award as well as the
Purple Dragonfly award in 2020 and 2021. She and her husband make their home
close to Colorado Springs where she enjoys gardening, hiking, oil painting,
power walking, and spending time with her family, especially reading books to
her grandchildren.
Becky is the author of Unintended Hero, a true
story about her father’s battles, experiences, and adventures in WWII aboard
the USS Denver. She is passionate about sharing the values from the
Greatest Generation and enjoys speaking to high school classes about
patriotism.
A member of ACFW and Allauthor, Becky has
devoted her website to creating and preserving family memories and sharing
family stories for the next generations through her monthly blogs.
You can find her at: https://beckyvanvleet.com.
She would love to hear from you, especially if you have a family story to share!
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