The following Devotional comes from Amazing
Stories & Daily Devotionals
Roy
Parrino has a job most people wouldn’t want. He works in a sewer in Orange
County, California. Roy spends his days cleaning out miles of sewer lines in
the Los Angeles area—braving toxic fumes, avoiding discarded syringes, and
wading through filthy muck that’s been flushed down toilets. “You really
have to psych your mind up for it,” Parrino says. “Remember, you’re going into
the filthiest environment there is. It’s like being in a big toilet.”
Maybe you’re in a “sewer” right now. You’re
stuck in a stressful workplace, surrounded by hateful people with toxic
attitudes. How can we keep a positive attitude in the middle of an
intolerable situation like that? Doesn’t the Bible say to “rejoice in the Lord
always” (Phil 4:4) and “consider it all joy when we encounter trials” (James
1:2)? How is that possible?
You
may not choose your circumstances, but you can choose how you view them. Every
situation contains both good and bad, but you can choose what you'll focus on. It’s
easy to see what’s wrong, but it takes determination to look past the filth
and search for something good that God wants you to find.
The first day on the job, Roy climbed out of the sewer holding a 2-carat topaz ring that he had found. Parrino has found gold necklaces, bracelets, and even diamond rings while working in sewers. If Roy can find jewels in a sewer, then you can find something good in your messy situation.
You can find something positive in every situation if you’ll search for it. Jesus said, “Seek and you will find” (Matt. 7:7). No matter where you work and what you’re going through, you’ll never be happy unless you develop a positive attitude. The next time you’re up to your neck in sewage, just remember that you can find diamonds in your sewer—if you’ll search for them. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com www.makinglifecount.net