Most mornings at Montgomery BART station in San Francisco, a BART employee holds up a sign imploring us all to smile. The holder then models his request and offers a cheery “good morning” to any who will receive it. I have to confess that there are many mornings I don’t feel at all like smiling. This morning, for example, I have a couple of difficult Court hearings and some real concern about our ability to file a critical document in our bankruptcy cases, in addition to the usual cash, employee, and other challenges. (We have a number of companies, some of the largest of which are working under the protection and demands of Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code. I recall all the things I’ve said or thought about deadbeat bankrupts! Now that raises an ironic smile!)
So this morning I’m sure I wasn’t smiling when I saw my new friend. But his example brought a smile to my face, and as I returned his enthusiastic “good morning” I was so thankful for him and his modeling of cheerfulness. This post isn’t another in my series on the fruit of the Spirit (I don’t see cheerfulness in the list) but it is clearly related. There is, in fact, so much to smile about when we consider the gift of work. Yes, it is hard and we shouldn’t be surprised about that (I plan soon to explore what the early chapters of Genesis have to say about work and its difficulties). But it is still a gift. When I sit in Court today, it will be as one called by God to play a part in His redemption of the world. Some things in company that employs me didn’t work out as they should have, and now we have an opportunity courtesy of US Bankruptcy laws to set them right. Many investors appear to have lost large amounts of money, but the law’s protections buy us time to try to recover some of their life savings.
Hopefully with this in mind, I’ll go into Court with a smile on my face!
Just reading this made me smile at my desk! And after a very hard day at church yesterday, where almost every song and word had me in tears. I managed to start my day with a bible reading and some prayer, which is a first for me on the morning, it usually has to wait until I get home.
ReplyDeleteBuilding the habit of starting the day with God is certainly difficult, especially if you're not a morning person. But there's no better way to get each day into perspective! (see today's post)
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