Turning Sad into Glad by Glynis M Belec

       I try to get along with people as best as I can for I figure what’s the use of being an opinionated, grouchy person whose busyness trumps stopping to ‘smell the roses’?

      Over the past seven years or so I’ve discovered life’s too short and my whirlwind days are better spent fitting in as much joy, kindness and love as I can muster. Days don’t always start out that way (I’m only human). Sometimes that opinionated, grouchy side tries to claw her way out. That’s when I open the trunk and dig out the armour – beginning with the Word of God.

       Reading scripture sure helps. So I try to do that every morning right before “Miss Grouchy, Opinionated Self” gets out of bed.

       Yesterday, I had lunch with a friend. Gillian (I will call her). I met her a few years ago at a fundraiser for ovarian cancer and for some reason we hit it off, stayed in touch and now we get together every so often.

       Gillian struggles with depression and sometimes she just needs to get away and talk. As we nibbled on our Greek salads yesterday, she shared about her friend who had recently committed suicide. Absolutely heartbreaking. We ate slowly. I wanted to say the right things. My “fix-it” side floundered. There was nothing I could say to take away her immediate pain and bring her friend back. I felt God tell my brain to calm down, to shut up and to listen. So I did (as difficult as that was for me).

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, 

slow to speak, slow to anger 

James 1:19

If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.                  

Proverbs 18:13

           Gillian continued to pour out her heart – even confessing that she had such thoughts sometimes but wasn’t sure what caused her friend to cross the line. Then the tables turned. God opened the door. A few words flowed and then during our discussion the focus shifted from indescribable sadness to grateful gladness.

           Nothing had changed except the flow of our conversation.

          “I don’t know how people who have no faith in God, do it,” Gillian finally said, tearing up.

           We both agreed and by the time we had taken our last sips of tea, we were hugging and planning another get-together. Jesus gives us Divine appointments. This lunch date with Gillian was no exception.

She left feeling a little better that she was able to share a bit of her pain. I left grateful to God

that He had made me slow down and shut up long enough to listen; to really listen.

           In this crazy, helter-skelter world filled with so much scorn for the Saviour on so many levels, it’s good to find focus in the Word.

           We’ll never fix everything no matter how hard we try, but in the Word there is comfort, hope, and a thousand ways to turn sadness into gladness; starting with – In the Beginning. 

Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. 

You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 

John 16:20

        Glynis lives, loves, laughs and does an awful         lot of reading, writing, publishing and                 praying in her home office. 

        How thrilled Glynis is to be part of 

        GOOD GRIEF PEOPLE (Angel Hope                     Publishing) - an anthology filled with stories         that help readers recognize, honour and               celebrate  the individuality of grief. 

      

                               www.glynisbelec.com