Bad news ... Good news

“Bad news travels fast.” Indeed. Perhaps in sharing the bad news and misfortune of others, we feel better about ourselves and our own life situations. If I dwell on the unfortunate circumstances affecting someone else, my own life doesn’t seem so bad after all.

Some people seem to thrive on maladies and misfortune; they become divas of dire circumstances. Perhaps it is just a way to garner attention: “Look at me! See how bad this situation is for me? Pay attention to me!” Or perhaps they just don’t have very good coping skills that enable them to deal with difficult situations.

I don’t think I’m a “dire diva”, at least I sure hope I’m not. My hope is that I approach life, and the difficult situations it often presents, with prayer, hope and a positive spirit.

Romans 5:3-5 (New Living Translation)

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

God loves us. That's good news.

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen