“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5
Have you ever noticed the significance that a positive start to the day can have upon your mental mindset?
When my children were younger and I had to get all three out the door with me with the goal of being on time for school, I used to try and do as much as possible the night before just to alleviate a stressful start to the day. Always looking to try and improve the time, calmness, and/or effectiveness of our departure, I found myself reading an article in a parent magazine that provided additional insights for reducing “morning madness”. The highly respected author suggested the strategy that kids could even sleep in their clothes for the next day to help reduce stress of the list of things that need to be accomplished in the morning! Laughing, I read this suggestion aloud to my husband, who added the helpful insight, “Why don’t we just have them sleep in their car seats while we’re at it?” Everyone treasures those perfect mornings when everything just starts on the right foot.
One significant value that the St. Matthew teaching staff practices every day (with the exception of Chapel days) that we have found to be a tremendous way to start the day is to gather together at 7:45 a.m. and focus on God’s Word. During this time, the teachers take turns leading the staff through a devotional thought that is based on Scripture. We also share praise reports as well as prayer requests, and then we take all of these issues to our Heavenly Father in prayer. Talk about a positive and powerful way to start the school day as our hearts, faith, and petitions unite!
Last week, our second grade teacher, Mrs. Geary, shared an amazing “praise report” that just started our day on such a positive note; she has given me permission to share this “God thing” that happened to her husband. Running out of the 7-Eleven located by the Walled Lake Central High School, Mr. Geary shoved his wallet into the front pocket of his hoodie as he left the store. However, during his journey back to his truck, unbeknownst to him, his wallet slid out of his pocket and fell into the parking lot.
When Mrs. Geary arrived home from school that day, she opened the screen door to her home and was shocked to find Mr. Geary’s wallet located in between the screen door and the main door to their house, along with a note. As she read it, she learned that a kind man had found Mr. Geary’s wallet in the 7-Eleven parking lot, so he decided to drive it to their house, which was 10 to 15 minutes away from the store! He also added that he hoped they had a good day! Then he shared a similar message into their RING door monitor! That evening, when Mr. Geary inspected his returned wallet, everything was there; nothing was missing!
This story was a wonderful reminder that despite COVID fatigue and all of the frustrations this sinful world can generate, especially when at times it seems like evil is so prevalent, there still is much good in this world! Discouragement is one of Satan’s strongest weapons. He strives for us to live in a state of being upset and to only see the negative in situations. However, when we strive to keep our eyes focused on Jesus, we see that He is walking us through the challenging valleys in life and helping us see the good in every situation.
The 15-minute detour the gentleman took to return Mr. Geary’s wallet was such a thoughtful act of kindness that now has impacted many lives. Christ calls us to do the same. May God bless you with opportunities this week to find ways to keep your focus on Him and share His love with others.
In Jesus’ Love,
Mrs. Palka