Unshackled Moments — September 26 — Pollyanna

The story of Pollyanna is an example of being someone who sows joy where there is sadness. And I hesitate to use it because we so often see that character in a negative light. I have never heard anyone say be like Pollyanna, but I don't know how many times I've heard someone say don't be a Pollyanna.

If it's a mask, an effort on our own part to always be chipper then it can be both annoying and self deceptive. When times really become difficult the facade fractures into sadness and misery. It can also make it difficult to help others who are truly discouraged and in need because in the admonition to not be a Pollyanna is the idea to not be unrealistic. To be happy during a time of sadness seems rude and disrespectful. A person like that is either out of touch with reality or has failed to understand the situation.

But there's a difference between being happy and having joy. The story of Pollyanna does a decent job of showing that joy is so much about manufacturing happiness as it is about being glad in God. True joy that coexist with sadness and give us strength to endure the situation with peace and hope and even gladness that can diminish our sadness is inseparably tired to gratitude. Our gratitude in the goodness of God and our faith that He will keep His word and work everything to our God gives us joy, a joy that can be sown into the sadness around us.

Today let us pray to keep our eyes on Jesus and aware of God's goodness so that we can go through the day with a grateful heart and, let us sow the gladness that can't be shaken by circumstance into the sadness we encounter.

Peace Prayer Of Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

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