COLOR OR BLACK AND WHITE?

We were already two hours behind schedule. The original plan had been left behind and replaced numerous times. Our hosts did their best to entertain us while we waited for the torrential rain to stop. The original plan: three families would go on a trip to a coffee plantation; the current situation: three families locked in a house waiting for what seemed like an endless tropical storm to end!

I tried to approach my mother to express my frustration. Suddenly, she interrupted me with these words: “What an adventure, right? Our hosts are so nice. The food is delicious. Surely the rain will stop soon, and we will continue with our trip”. I was stunned. How could my mother have such a positive outlook on the situation? Perhaps my reflection should have been: How can I have such a pessimistic perspective on the matter? After all, we were having a good time, getting to know each other better and enjoying the coffee and the delicious sandwiches that the host family prepared for us. Not much time passed, and the rain stopped. The trip to the coffee farm ended up being one of the most memorable trips I've ever had.

From that day on, I promised myself to try to see life in color and not in black and white. This is a decision that only I can make. It is not the storm or the calm what should determine our level of joy, but the attitude of gratitude with which we face each day. Let us follow the advice of the apostle Paul and be always grateful.

“.. let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts.

And be grateful.”

Colossians 3:15 CEV

"A joyful heart is good medicine,

but a broken spirit drains one’s strength.”

Proverbs 17:22 NIV

© Astrid Gale