Sometimes I can be so singularly negative about my life.

I look at the world and only see what’s broken.   The place on my floor that creaks. Facebook friends who won’t stop sending me game requests.  The chip fragments at the bottom of the bag.

Don’t get in my way when I’m feeling negative like that. I’m likely to growl. Or sigh.

But then there are other times, when negative doesn’t even begin to describe how warped my vision is.

At those time it’s like I’m Double Negative. Twice the suffering in the world. Twice the bad stuff to endure.

When I’m Double Negative I go big. I see democracy falling apart at the seams. I see corporations as hungry giants. I see The Church in ruins. My life in tatters.

When I’m Double Negative, stay as far away from me as you can.  That kind of negativity is doubly toxic. Doubly contagious.  Doubly dangerous.

If you’ve ever been in that place, you know what I’m talking about.

All my life I’ve been told that a Double Negative = a Positive.  Like saying,  “I don’t know nothing about the Bible” is grammatically  saying “I know something about the Bible”.

Well, that may be true in grammar, but when it comes to attitude, or outlook, or faith, there is nothing positive about being Double Negative.

And while it’s easy to bounce back from one negative day, or even the occasional Double Negative day, some folks just spiral downward until they may be doing permanent damage to their soul.

Is there any hope for those of us who suffer from Double Negativity?

Here’s an answer from Paul, that I think applies:

…we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. (Romans 5)

Paul is suggesting that two wrongs can make a right.  Suffering and endurance can lead to character and hope. All it takes is a glimmer of faith and perseverance.

How about that? A double negative leading to something positive after all.

Not for nothing,

But isn’t that something?

Have a great week,

Mitch