That's the question I want to ask Job.*

Along with optimism I have taken upon myself a little word that I am afraid of. "Yes". Or in most cases the word comes out more like, "Um, yeah, okay." Yes is much too assertive and seeing as how saying 'yes' is a least favorite thing it comes out more weakly. Somehow though, I see these two things connected. An optimistic person would say 'yes' when asked to do something right? Maybe it's just me, but I feel it is a way of proving that I am serious about this.

So here's how it plays out.

Sunday - Goal to be optimistic.

Monday - Told my dad about the goal because I figured that telling someone would hold me to it.

Tuesday - Optimism tested, I think I have passed.

Wednesday - Asked to teach the lesson Monday night at FHE (Family Home Evening)...note to readers, I don't go to FHE. I said, "I don't want to, I don't go, but I sustained you in your calling and that means I should say 'yes' when you ask me to help out." Assignment - Teach a 20 minute lesson on Charity.

Thursday - One of the Sunday School teachers calls and asks if I can cover for him this Sunday. Um, the last time I taught Sunday School it was to teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17 and they stared blankly at me the whole time but they stayed quiet because I bribed them with confectionery goodness. I have never taught Sunday School to people my age, and we are studying the Old Testament, but optimistic moment, it's the book of Job (seriously, I think it's the whole book) and the title of the lesson is "I know that my Redeemer lives." Which...I do know, so at least I've got that going for me.

It's funny though because if you know Job at all you know he's got quite the life. I've already read the first couple of chapters. Job was rich and righteous and yadda, yadda, yadda. So the Lord is like, "Check out Job, have you ever seen anyone like him?" and Satan basically says, "Well yeah, of course he's great he's got a thousand camels and hundreds of other animals, he's got these children he loves (even though they're not so righteous). He's got everything going for him, take that away and see how great he is." So the Lord is like, "Leave him alone, but have at it with all he possesses."

Satan takes his opportunity and suddenly a servant comes up to Job and is like, "All your sheep and servants caught fire, I'm the only one left alive." Before that guy finishes another servant comes up and says, "All your camels were stolen and your servants slayed, I'm the only one left alive." And so on and so on, one

RIGHT.

AFTER.

THE.

OTHER.

And then another comes and says, "All your kids were eating dinner together at your eldest son's home and the walls collapsed, killing all of them and all the servants, I'm the only one left alive."

Could you imagine!? Of course Job grieves, what person wouldn't. All of his children have died, all of his wealth is gone, all relatively at the same time. But he still trusts in the Lord...he's still - wait for it - optimistic that the Lord will take care of him.

So then the Lord is like, "Seriously, ever seen a guy quite like this?" and Satan says, "He still has his health, if he didn't have that he would curse you." Pretty much - it's easy to stay upbeat when you are still okay. So the Lord says, "Spare his life, but his health is yours." So Satan gives him BOILS...boils people, from "heel to the crown of his head" - and I think mosquito bites are torture.

Job's wife sees him and says, "Curse God and die." But Job will not, he calls his wife foolish for even saying that.

That's pretty much as far as I have gotten, his friends come and mourn with him and I think there's a lot to be said about friends who will come and cover themselves in ashes and sit quietly with you for several days. But the point is, Job has a lot of optimism - there is a lot to be learned from him. One verse I skimmed and liked was when he was saying how he will continue to trust in the Lord, he said, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." I think it takes a great amount of Optimism to say, "No matter what happens, it will be okay because the Lord knows what He is doing."

In the end Job is blessed with double of everything he had, and he even has the same amount of children he had before (you think you're done after 10 - but if all 10 die I guess you just have 10 more). All in all, things end up pretty great for Job. So - Optimism rocks.

Of course, now I have to go and teach this and hope no one derails the class, or hope that someone at least speaks up. I also have to worry about passing out, hasn't happened before, but it might. There are so many reasons I didn't stick with the Elementary Education major.