Have you ever had one of those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, as Alexander had in the book by Judith Viorst of the same name? I’m guessing it would be safe to say you have.

Recently, a friend and I exchanged text messages. I was following up with her after she spent several hours in the emergency room the previous night. In our exchange, I mentioned how my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day before went. Ending with saying it was nothing compared with what she faced in a few days. She disagreed.

We each have our terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, don’t we? Sometimes those days seem to gang up on us. Sometimes they spread out enough to give us space to breathe before they strike again.

Jesus told us we’d have those days. He told us in this world we would have trouble. It’s a guarantee. You will have. Not some of you might have. Or it’s possible a few of you will experience. Nope. Each of us will have trouble. We’ll have those days which can only be described as a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Why? Because we live in a fallen world determined to attack and make us lose our joy.

When Jesus said we would have trouble, he didn’t end there. He went on to say we should take heart. Be encouraged. Stay strong. For he overcame the world. He left his Spirit to strengthen believers, so we can make it through those days we wish never happened.

That’s how we get through those terrible days. That’s how we soldier on past the horrible days. That is the way we live to die to self another day, when the no good days hit. It is only through the Spirit of the Lord who lives in us, we can move past our very bad days.

In this world we will have trouble, yes, but Christ has overcome the world.

In Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by the time Alexander’s day, where absolutely nothing went his way, ends, he declares he is moving from his family in New York City to live in Australia.

You and I do not need to move our residence to feel joy in the midst of our troubles. All we need do is move closer to the source of our joy. Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, Sustainer, Chain Breaker, Hope, and Strength.

The joy of the Lord is our strength. Even on those days when the only way we can  describe them is terrible, horrible, no good, very bad.

How do you turn your terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days around?

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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NIV)

You can find my February Inspire a Fire post here. Please stop by and read it.

I wish you well.

Sandy

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