When I was a teenager, I learned an important lesson on gratitude and positiveness. It came while working in a home for the elderly, where I was helping to take care of two ladies who were both in their nineties. They resided in neighboring rooms and they both received the same attention and care.
Darcy was a very picky lady. Her daughter came to visit her often and took her out on walks in her wheelchair, but while family visits were a highlight for most clients, Darcy was never very happy. Nothing was good enough! The food wasn’t appetizing, the personal care wasn’t sufficient, and on and on it went. Her room always seemed somewhat gloomy, dark, and uninviting.
Then there was Grace. I have never forgotten her name, because it reflected her character; she was graceful and positive. Nobody ever came to visit her. I am not even sure if any of her relatives were still alive, but that didn’t affect her disposition. She was always full of light and cheer no matter what happened. Whenever passing by her room, I felt attracted to peek in and imbibe a little bit of the optimistic atmosphere that surrounded her.
I distinctly remember two incidents with Grace that made a big impact on me. One of them happened when I was helping to lift her up from her bed and move her into her wheelchair. Somehow, she slipped out of my grip and fell back onto the bed. Thankfully, she was not hurt! It was mainly just an uncomfortable moment. But I was mortified, thinking of what could have happened. Darcy would have loudly expressed her displeasure for the rest of the day to everyone passing by. But Grace just laughed it off, pointing out how clumsy she had become. I breathed a sigh of relief. Her reaction calmed me down. Yet at the same time it piqued my interest in what her secret was that she could be so cheerful even during unpleasant moments.
The second occasion came when I took Grace out for a walk one day. I helped dress her, and off we went. The home was located in a village, but after exiting the gate, the only way to travel was along a very long dusty road with high concrete walls on both sides. It was not a very inspiring place to walk. An occasional passing car filled the air with smog and dust. I love walking, but this place seemed depressing to me. As I was entertaining these thoughts in my mind, pushing Grace’s wheelchair, she broke the silence with a smile and said, “It’s such a glorious day today! The sun makes everything so cheery!”
I looked up and realized the sky was indeed blue and the sun was shining with a pleasant warmth and light. Then she pointed at the only remnant of nature in sight—a tiny weed growing from a crack in the wall. “Wow, look at that beautiful flower! How pretty!” I nearly choked.
From then on, I wanted to learn how to be positive and optimistic like Grace, choosing to look on the bright side rather than the negative. This is a habit that is built over time as we decide to focus on the positive at every opportunity. By rejecting negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones, this habit gets strengthened. In the beginning it might be a challenge, but with time it becomes easier and easier until it becomes second nature. Romans 12:2 says: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (NLT).
The apostle Paul knew something about this principle. He wrote in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (NIV). We would be wise to follow this timeless counsel. Grace did. I believe she chose to focus on the positive her whole life until it became second nature for her.