One of our cats has been full of shenanigans lately. She has been stealing as many random socks that she can find and spreading them throughout the house. Then, she’s been taking all of her toys out of the toybox and littering our living room with them. Not to mention, do not think about leaving a cup out without a top. One cup of water was left on the table only to result in a whole furry paw being put into the glass, while water to her delight splashed everywhere. It would have spilled if I did not witness the act to stop it from any further damage. Another cup was left out and she walked up and licked the lid. Not to mention last night she kept turning on our touch lamp when we were trying to conserve energy. She also has apparently picked a favorite chair for the day and when our oldest tried to sit in it, she made it known her disapproval. Her new favorite thing is to mess with my oldest son’s door when he’s trying to sleep because she’s bored and wants his attention. All of these shenanigans that she does, usually results in laughter. Though I will admit she is my favorite cat and though naughty, she is the sweetest cat that I have ever known. She is well-loved and offers much joy and humor to our lives.

Friend, I wanted to share this about our cat to make a point. We could be annoyed by our cat or angry at some of the things she does; or, we could see the big picture and find the humor in it. Don’t sweat the small stuff friend. Find some joy. There are things that are big deals and worthy of big feelings and there are things like this, that we just need to sit back and have a good laugh. God gave us the gift of laughter, sometimes we just need to use it! For life is too short to find reasons to be angry; may we find reasons to smile.

Erin Fitts-Brower

Proverbs 17:22 NIV

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.