This is Do a Grouch a Favor Day.

We don’t know who made this up, but it’s a good idea. Doing a favor for a grouch might just brighten his or her day. And if it happens more than once, the grouch might not be so grouchy.

A grouch seems always to be in a bad mood. Everything is negative to him or her. On a partly cloudy day, grouches see the clouds, not the sun. Can you think of any grouches in your life? Remember Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street. He lives in a garbage can, for goodness sake—no wonder he has a bad attitude!

Grouches aren’t fun to be around. Wouldn’t you rather hang with positive people, who see the good and make you feel good about life and about yourself? Maybe you have a friend like that . . . or a relative . . . or a teacher . . . or a person at church.

But wait a second. What about you? Do you think people call you a grouch? If so, consider things you might do to become a more positive person. A good start would be to list all the good in your life and to thank God for those blessings. Then try to look for at least one good thing every day to thank him for.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).

To Do

Take this day seriously and do someone a favor. Help someone who’s feeling grouchy to feel better.

Also on this day . . .

1946—The first commercially designed helicopter was tested in Connecticut.

1968—Detroit, Michigan declared this to be Aretha Franklin Day.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.