My Favorite Things

Imagine this - the rain begins to pour, lightening cracks, thunder sounds it's loud boom, suddenly in the background you hear footsteps, the door flies open - Is this the beginning of a horror film? Should I shut my eyes to what monster may be standing in the doorway???  Oh heaven's no!  One by one, 7 children dash to the safety of fraulein Maria's room, whereupon she bids them come in and be safe from the storm.

She sings a classic song to help calm their fears:

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles with warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things....

When the dog bites, when the bee stings

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad 

Of course, this is an amazing scene form the Sound of Music.  One of my "favorite" things actually.

There is so much wisdom in the words and the ideas found in this song.  And, truth be told, thinking of your favorite things, actually works!!

Everyday our heads and ears and eyes are bombarded with ugliness of one kind or another.  When my mind is filled with scenes from the news or I have a heavy heart and I can't sleep, I start to think about all the things in the world that are my favorites - like hummingbirds, and butterflies, and chocolate, and my daughter's laughter (aww! I love that sound), the way my husband smells (in a good way), how the air smells before and after a rain, my mom, God's Word, the way my son can talk non-stop for 2 hours, how after I've done a make over on a woman she looks in the mirror and proclaims "I'm pretty!", and so on and so on.  Each of us has a million things that we call our favorites.  These "favorites" are gifts from God.

Colossians 3:2 says "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things."  So that's what I do.  I take back control of my mind and think on my favorite things - all those little gifts from God - and I repeat this verse to myself: "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if any thing is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."  Philippians 4:8 

It works, every time.  EVERY TIME!!!  Think of how learning this skill and this verse could help the child that is afraid of the dark or the one that just knows there is a monster in the closet or under the bed, or the one that is afraid of lightening and thunder or has a hard time falling asleep.  How often do we as adults find we are just not able to turn our mind off and fall asleep.  You see when I fill my mind with God's Words and my favorite things, there isn't room for the ugliness, sadness or the fear.   I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad.  I just thought of another one - puppy breath, oh and the way a babies head smells or how a baby feels in my arms, banana bread, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, the warm sun on my face, my son playing the piano ......

What are your favorite things?   Think on them!