by Andy Frizzell
� Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take my joy in the God of my salvation. God the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer�s; He makes me tread on high places.�
I was no different from most young children in that every night before I was tucked into bed I required my dad to tell me a bedtime story. My father being a minister was a little bit different in the methods he used in telling his stories. Every story he told had an underlying message about some mistake I had made earlier in the day and the story was used to remind me of this mistake and teach me a lesson for the third time that day. It took me years to catch on to his technique. This is a story that he told that I still think back on whenever I am tempted to look at my life in a pessimistic way.
The Story of Optimistic Otto & Pessimistic Pete
Once upon a time there were two boys. The first one was named Otto. Otto was a kind and happy boy. He had many friends and was always encouraging everyone with his bright smile. Even when things were looking bad for Otto he still managed to be happy and cheer up everyone else. Then there was Pete. Pete was a sad boy, one who never had a good day in his life. Pete had few friends and they didn�t like hanging around much because he always made them feel depressed. He was the guy in cartoons that walked around with the rain cloud always hovering over his head.
In our lives we are tempted to get down on ourselves, our jobs, even our families. It is easier for many of us to have an outlook on life much like Pete�s, a pessimistic outlook. It is hard to keep a positive attitude when nothing seems to be going our way. Just remember the example of Otto. Otto never quit smiling. He would not allow one bad thing to ruin his day. He would cling to the positive and forget the negative. Otto followed the example that Habakkuk lays out for us in the third chapter of Habakkuk. Even though everything in life goes wrong, no food on the table, no clean clothes, job loss, we can still rely on the Lord. He is our strength and through him we can find true joy and remain content in our lives.