Are you a PollyAnna?

Over the summer, my sweet Olivia and I read Pollyanna. I have always heard the saying, "She is such a Pollyanna" but never really knew what it meant. After reading this story, I learned what it meant and decided that it wasn't such a bad thing. Pollyanna was a little girl who didn't have much. Her mother died, her father was a missionary who also died, and she was left to go live with her spinster Aunt who wasn't a very nice lady. In spite of all of this, Pollyanna was happy and cheerful all of the time. She gained this sunny disposition by playing, "The Game." The game that her father taught her was simple...find something positive in every situation.

They started playing the game when Pollyanna was very small. Missionaries received barrels of donations. This is how the got clothing, toys, household goods that had been donated to charity. They never knew what would be in the barrel. They simply got what they got. (Olivia's pre-school teacher taught her this little rhyme..."You get what you get and you don't pitch a fit.") Pollyanna hoped that in the next barrel would be a baby doll. Instead of the baby doll there were crutches. So the game began...the positive thing about receiving crutches instead of a baby doll is that at least you don't need the crutches. Pollyanna found that she could be "glad" that her leg wasn't broken.

Now that you have the idea, Olivia and I began to play the game. Such a simple concept with such a profound effect. Pollyanna transformed an entire community by sharing The Game with everyone she met. What would happen in our own community, state, country or world if we began looking at things through the eyes of The Game?

While reading the book, I was in Wal-Mart one day. In an anxious rush I reached over a lady so that I could get my item and be on my way. I didn't have time to wait on her. As I reached, I knocked another item off of the shelf onto the ladies head. I immediately apologized profusely. I was so embarrassed to have been in such a hurry. The lady came up with a smile and said, "Don't worry about it, at least it wasn't a 5lb bag of sugar." She then laughed. I thought instantly...She is playing The Game!

In the Tillman House we are trying to play The Game as much as possible, especially in these hard economic times. Won't you join us? Imagine a world where we all looked for something to be GLAD about.

Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."