Our Journey vs Rotating Doors

  I had one of those school year resolutions given to me one year. More often than not, I would try and avoid these kind of things. I didn't want to write somthing down then a year later feel bad about it. I know I'd feel bad because I know I wouldn't have come close to doing my goal. It was easier to have a resolution be nothing because nothing is pretty easy to acheive. Well at the begining of a class called seminary, which is a class that a student can study religion in highschool, they gave the students tiny pint papers with small print writing on one side. The text read something to the effect of write down a year long goal that will help you improve yourself in life, world, gospel, etc... In other words what ever helps you become better. Well I was tempted to dispose of the slip but I had a change in heart for once. I decided to give it a chance. See if I chould actually do a school year resolution. But what would I decide to do was the hard part. Grinning to myself, I wrote down, "smile every day no matter what".

  I woke up one morning, it was a Tuesday. I was to getting ready for school. But before starting all the tasks to prepare myself to go, I told myself something. What I persuaded myself that morning, "This will be a good day." I pause now and look back at that moment. I was a pretty good liar. Even fooled myself.

  I made it on time to class. Chemistry was the A hour I took first in my day. Really confuses me most of the time. Not the test I took on Friday. I was convinced that I did a phenomenal job on it. I was just so excited to see if it was an A or maybe high B. F! The paper came to me and read F! But I felt so good about it. Shocked, I kept my conposure and didn't let this ruin my "Good Day". So I smiled and contiued out the door to my next class.

  On the way to German, I was walking down the outside hallway and, unfortunately for me, I stepped in one of those yellow half circles the tell you the range of a rotating door. WACK! Door swung out, and the corner popped me in the face between my nose and my left eye. Persperation blurred my vision as I tried analysing what just had happened to cause this pulsing throb, circulating through the left side of my face. I had realized I'd become victom to the potentially dangerous everyday door. Darn it... but it's ok because I'm going to have a good day. So one eye half closed, I proceeded to my next hour course.

  I sat down in in my seat waiting for class to start. Head pounding was a strange begining to my "really good day" that I prodicted this morning. Unconvinsed and refusing to give up on my inspiration I stayed possitive, remembering that I was to be returned a quiz I took on Friday. When I recieved my paper my heart sank in disappointment. F. It was large, legible and legitimate. My bright and sunny morning was turning into a gloomy rain cloud. But even with my prediction of the wrong weather, doesn't mean I can't play in the rain. I refused a frowning face and smiled a half meaningful smirk.

  My directions next were to go to math class. It was a considerably longer walk then the rest of them. But I didn't mind that, as so I thought. Not a far ways down the outdoor hallway, I came to yellow half circle on the ground and I step in its premises. Before my memory could recollect earlier events and before my body could defend and react, a rotating door was kicked open. This time it hit the right side of my face and a good punch to my sholder. Pain ached on both sides of my face, my eyes blinded me with moisture a second time. I was not happy anymore. My smilely face was no fun face. And it stayed that way as I slowly stolled across school to my class.

   Having completely given up at this point on having a good day, I had a personal stare down with my teacher's stack of papers as she held them, knowing that in that stack one of them was mine. Serious in expression and eyeing each page as it was lifted and passed back to each student, my teacher eventually rounded to me. The grade on the test was exactly what I suspected. F. It was only tradition for my supposedly wonderful day. I thought class would never end but time came to leave and I exited with vigor.

  I kept my eyes out now. My next hour was my weight class so now I headed for the locker room. But no door was going to take me out this time. I'm nobody's fool I told myself. So I took an alternate route. My course went around the buildings away form any class rooms or hall doors. I was not going to be shamed again. Victorious, I approached the locker room doors feeling a sense of peace. But as I got closer to the enterance I heard a voice of a very adible coach inside. His verble threats and angry foot steps got louder as I stood standing at the foot of the door. I remember sighing in defeat and telling myself, "Oh come on..." when the stomps finally reached the door. The rotating door slamed open! This time it lifted me up from the ground and I was smashed between a cinder block wall and an iron plated door. As the door shut the coach looked at me all scrunched up, tush to the ground and then left me with out an appology.

  All the events seem to be leading to this point. A dark part of me just wanted to explode with rage over all that had happened. But as I took the moment to think about events I remembered a goal I had given to myself at the beginning of the year. Then the biggest smile filled my face. A bright warm feeling filled my spirit. And I was able to look past the pain and heartache. I was happy.

  Looking back now, I realized two things. One, that I wasn't a liar but that I did indead have a wonderful day. But the second thing I noticed that struck with power, was how a smile truly can make the difference. Many people think that we have to be happy before allowing our selves a smirk or grin. But that isn't true. We can be happy now. Smiling doesn't need to be something foreign or earned, but should be the way you live. True happiness comes through Jesus Christ and his Charity toward men. He paid the price of our sins, was taken and crucifided on the cross. And in three days time, rose again. His sacrifice was the ticket to our salvation. Without him taking the sins of the world upon himself, dying, and on the third day reserecting, when his body and spirit reuntited, we would be lost in our own doom. But Christ did die for us and rose for us, that through this ever lasting Atonement we may be saved.

  My friends, no matter how hard the days may be and how hard the trials that we endure, we all have reason to wear a smile. It'll brighten days surrounded in darkness and greif. A grin can give you strength through times of trials. Jesus Christ truly has brought hope to our souls. And remember there is nothing warmer to your heart then a sincere joyful smile.

  I say these thing in Jesus Christ's name, Amen.