When it rains it pours

Without getting into details let's just say that last week had more down points than is normal for me. They weren't huge or awful or end of the world things, but just a lot of little things. Saturday the thought came to me, "When it rains it pours." And then I started thinking about why that is. Why is it that all the bad things happen at once? A couple thoughts came to me. 1) When we are focused on the negative we see more negative. 2) Sometimes it's a test and/or to strengthen us or to teach us something. 3) Sometimes we bring it on ourselves. Part of my bad stuff last week I think I was kind of bringing on myself, but the rest I think may have been teaching me patience and turning the other cheek. Did I learn it? Well, I don't know, but I passed the test pretty well! Still really bothers me when I think about it though. Argh!

But getting back to #1! I try to stay really positive and look for the good and the blessings in things. I know that when a trial happens that God is right there making the trials a little easier than they would be without Him. I look back on certain trials and I think how grateful I am for the timing or circumstances of them and how lucky I am that they happened they way they did. For example this morning, I do not feel good and Leese does not want to nap but she's not up there screaming and I'm feeling well enough to take care of her. The last time I was sick I was WAY sick but it was a weekend and Cody was home to take care of the babe :)

I keep getting off track! My point is, that whatever you're looking for is what you're going to see. If you think that everything goes wrong then even when something good happens you're probably going to see the ways in which it could have been better. I know, I've been there. And you're less likely to notice when things go a little bit better than they did the last time around, or that they are better than they were yesterday or last week or last month. But when you try to focus on the positive and see the good in the bad, then that's what you'll see more of! I took a Positive Psychology class in college--a class I think EVERYONE should take and if you aren't in a situation to take it then you should at least read "The How of Happiness." I have it if anyone would like to borrow it. But getting back on point, one of our assignments was to write down three things we were grateful for every night before we went to bed. What I found was that when I was looking back on my day trying to find the tender mercies, I thought of so many that some nights I could have been up all night writing them! Even though I had some not so good moments last week, I can still see the good in them and I am grateful for that. And you know what, I not only learned that from my Positive Psychology class I but also from the hardest trial of my life. Look, I am learning! Go me :)

So my main point is that yeah, when it rains it pours. When bad things happen sometimes they happen all at once. But that also goes for the good things. When it rains blessings sometimes it just pours blessings! And that makes it worth going through the bad rain. I would walk through bad rain anytime to get to the marvelous blessing rain that is promised to us if we are faithful.

Do any of you have a special trick you use to see the positive/tender mercies in a bad situation?