By Robert H. Schuller
My mother had a very tough life. She was married to a good man who raised crops on an Iowa farm through some terribly difficult years. I saw my mother have some low days and I discovered what she did to change a gloomy mood into a blooming mood.
When apples were in season she would pick them, peel them, slice them, and then roll out a pie crust to bake an apple pie. Everybody was happy in the household as she started whistling and singing hymns while making her apple pies. She made each pie heaping with apples and sprinkled in lots of cinnamon. My mother never made just one pie; most of the time she made two. And she'd always say, "One is for my family. The other one is for someone who needs it." And she would often send me down the road to deliver that second pie to someone who was sick or had a very meager income. My mother had discovered that the way to put joy into life was to "forget about yourself and do something beautiful in a wonderful way for somebody else." She understood well the joy that comes through giving.
If you want to be a truly miserable person, just be as selfish as you can. I have never seen a twinkling, happy, enthusiastic person who is also stingy. It just doesn't work. Next time you're having a "down" day, recall an experience where you were really up. I can tell you when it was. It was the time you listened to somebody who needed to be heard or comforted. Or it was the time you prayed a prayer or gave a word of encouragement and positively lifted someone's spirit. It was the time you packaged a very treasured and gorgeous gift and gave it to someone you deeply love.
Jesus said, "If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it" (Matthew 10:39, NLT). Let your daily living become daily giving and you will have a life filled with JOY!
