An "off" day.

I want to be happy, but I won’t be happy till I make you happy, too! Life’s really worth living when we are mirth-giving. Why can’t I give some to you? –Irving Caesar & Vincent Youmas


There’s a wonderful children’s book by Judith Viorst called Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day. For the story’s hero, Alexander, nothing seems to be going right. His brothers ate the last of his favorite breakfast cereal. The shoe store doesn’t have the tennis shoes he wants in his size. He gets gum in his hair—everything just seems to be going wrong. He loudly announces that he is having a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day!

His mother, a very wise woman, helps Alexander begin to understand that some days are just like that. Even in Australia.

Of course, that didn’t make Alexander’s shoes stay tied, or get the gum out of his hair, but it’s true. And the good news is, there’s another chance for a fresh start-- tomorrow.

Been there, done that. Probably more often than I care to admit. (You, too?) Jesus never promised us an easy, comfortable life. He did, however, promise we would never be left alone in our troubles.

How to handle those “off” days? Maybe the best thing to do is just to take a day off. Hit the “pause” button; take a deep breath and rest in God’s presence.

And while you’re at it, why not do something to make someone else’s day brighter? Share the love and wait for it to come washing back over you. Maybe all the way from Australia.


Monday Slow down and think about the pace of your life. Do you often feel as if you are hurrying from one thing to the next? How are your priorities? Pray that God would calm your spirit. Give thanks and rest. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Tuesday Practice praying as you wait—in line at the store or while stopped at a red light. Pray for the person in front of you or behind you. Give thanks for the community in which you live, and for your UCUMC community. Proverbs 18:10

Wednesday Pray for the city around you as it grows and changes and heals. Praise God for your church family, united in mission and vision for the Kingdom. 2 Corinthians 6:16

Thursday Is there someone you know (a family member, perhaps?) who seems to lack patience? Pray that God might still their anxiousness and quiet their spirit. Praise God for their presence in your life. Exodus 18:13-23

Friday Pray for our nation’s government and lawmakers as we face so many challenges. Give thanks for our freedom as Americans; pray for our representatives’ wisdom and discernment as they lead. Romans 13:2-5

Saturday Today, as you pray for yourself, ask God to show you an area of your life where patience is lacking. Give thanks for the blessing of God’s presence in your life. Exodus 8:1-15

Sunday Come together in worship to celebrate God’s steadfastness in our lives and his seemingly endless patience with his children (us). 1 Peter 5:10-11


No one really has a bad life. Not even a bad day. Just bad moments. –Regina Brett

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