From Gloom to Glee

Not too long ago, I had a day when I felt just a bit blue, a slight bit gloomy. Eyeore of Tales of Winnie the Pooh and I could have been cut from the same cloth. For those of you who have never read the Pooh series, let me tell you about Eyeore. He is a little blue donkey that speaks and personifies gloom. Pooh and the other characters of the "Hundred Acre Wood" are always trying to cheer him up.

Now, back to my day. Nothing major was wrong; nothing I could put my finger on, but joy and enthusiasm were missing. Possibly the problem was all the changes around me. My children had lives of their own, my grandchildren were growing up much too fast, school was about to begin again, and summer was ending. These occurrences happen to most of us. Still, it was not much of an excuse for the gloom I felt. Maybe you can relate because you've had similar days or moments.

The Bible is full of people who felt despondent. Isn't it comforting to know that others before us have felt like we do? King David wrote plenty of Psalms expressing sad feelings.

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? (Psalm 42:5 NIV).

My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught (Psalm 55:2 NIV).

I did all the things I knew to do: read my Bible, pray, drink my coffee, eat my breakfast, and off to work I went. I did not pray for God to take away the gloomy feeling, but He knew how I felt. After all, He created me. He knows me better than I even know myself.

You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely (Psalm 139:2-4 NIV).

I walked slowly from the parking lot with my head down, not thinking about anything, just feeling blue. I heard a voice from a car say, "Hey, where is your enthusiasm, the spring in your step, the song on your lips?" I never was that enthusiastic in the morning. After all, I wasn't going to an amusement park or a party. I was going to work. The co-worker was kidding, but there was truth in his words. What did I have to be so down about? I began to smile and see myself as I really was, a grumpy, gloomy person who should have been singing. Thankfulness and joy should have been radiating from me. The day was glorious. I had a job, a family who loved me, food to eat, and good health. I could go on and on. You get the picture.

Those of us who know the Lord have the most wonderful reason of all to be thankful and joyful. Jesus loves all of us, even gloomy me. He died on the cross and rose from the grave so that we can have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16 NIV).

God used this co-worker to turn me from gloom to glee. What a terrific day it was! I began to have a song on my lips (on my lips, not out loud) and a spring in my step. The enthusiasm and joy did return. I may become gloomy again, but knowing Christ and remembering what He did for me will bring the joy and enthusiasm back.

If you see me looking like Eyeore, please remind me of God's love!

Copyright © Kathy Schultz, used with permission.