ANY

I have a friend and colleague who oozes joy.  She works hard at it and it shows.  Kids love her.  Parents love her.  I love following her on Facebook.  Her posts are so full of joy and you know it's for real.  Each year she picks a hashtag for her posts.  Her hashtag for this year is #focusingon4eight.  One of her friends asked her what it means and this was her response: 

This year I am focusing on Philippians 4:8 and things that are true, noble, right, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. Trying to find these things in my life as often as possible! 

Last week, I was reading my morning devotional when I was reminded of her hashtag

I posted it to her Facebook wall and she replied, "Love it, thank you!! Some days are easier than others!"

The word that stands out in the verse to me lately is ANY.  "If there is ANY excellence, if there is ANYthing worthy of praise".  Not if you like what's excellent.  Not if you want to praise.  If there is ANYthing.  

When I think of the word ANY I think of little grains of sand, little parts.  Sand can be invasive.  It gets every where.  Any little grain of sand and you can feel it.  Ever get sand in your eyes?  Any little grain is a pain.  

It seems to me that my friend is working on the ANY.  She's looking for a grain of sand of goodness.  

God wants to change us.  Part of the way He changes us is by changing our perspective.  When we can start looking for the grains of sand of excellence and praise worthy things, He's changing our perspective.  When we can focus of the excellent and praise worthy things, we have less time to wallow in our circumstances.  When we change our focus we can see others better.  When we see others better, we can serve them better.  We can love them better.  

Let's focus on the ANY today.  Look for any good part of the person who's irritating you.  Look for any good in the hard situation you're facing.  No matter how low you feel, look for the ANY.  Find one grain of sand of goodness today.  Then praise the Giver of All Good Things.  He loves you.