A neighbor hold me about a bridal shower she had hosted in her home when her daughter, Christine, was only three. Christine's best friend was another small beauty named Momo, short for Maureen. The two little girls were always laughing or giggling over some shared mischief. But on the day of the shower they seemed perfectly behaved.
Angelic smiles graced their chubby cheeks as they handed out glass after glass of cool, clear water to the assembled guests. How darling they were! How helpful! It wasn't until the last guest had left that the truth came out. A suspicious older sister had followed the two girls, determined to find out what they were up to. She soon discovered that they had been grabbing glasses from the table, taking them to the bathroom, filling them with water from the toilet and then serving them to the guests at the shower! That day many of the guests had washed down their cheesecake with a libation of toilet water.
I thought the story was hilarious, until it occurred to me that it had happened during a year chock full of babies and showers. I wondered if I had been there that day. I couldn't remember, nor did I want to. In any case, Christine and Momo's chicanery puts an entirely new twist on the old saying that you can either look at life as a glass half empty or a glass half full. By telling you the story, I choose to remember it as a glass half full, grateful for the laughter it still inspires--unless, of course, I am ill-mannered enough I tell it at a shower.
When it comes to experiencing more of God's peace, learning to become more grateful in the midst of life's ups and downs can make all the difference.
