by Stan Mitchell

You know it's going to be a bad day when you call suicide prevention, and they put you on hold ... when you see a 60 Minutes News Team waiting in your office ... when your birthday cake collapses under the weight of the candles ... when you're following a group of Hell's Angels down the highway and suddenly your horn starts blowing, and remains stuck. Otherwise it's been a pretty good day!

You might remember the children's classic where the little boy was having a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day." Why do some people seem to have so many bad days? It helps to have a sense of humor. Some church members think that a sense of humor and a sense of holiness are incompatible. Gratitude helps, too. Do you think some Bangladeshis would think we were crazy to complain about our lot? Do you think there aren't some Afghans who would swap with us if we really don't like what life had handed out to us?

"This is the day the Lord has made," the Psalmist reminds us, "Let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).

A good attitude is important, too. The Psalmist was grateful for any day that the Lord had given him. We're all living on borrowed time. Be loving, forgiving, and urgent in telling others about Christ. You don't have to wait until the stars are all in alignment before you are content with what God has given you.

Even if you're having, like, a totally bad day!