It had been a really long day. And it was only 2:00. I was on my way to cover a basketball game for my sports medicine job in a neighboring county.

I had holiday depression. I was way behind on several assignments. I had the upcoming release of <a href="http://store.civitaspress.com/books/284">my book</a> weighing heavy on my mind with a lot of people I really needed to contact. It was the day after Christmas. I wanted time off. Everyone else had time off, why shouldn't I? I was mad a several people, for no really good reason. I just really wanted to crawl in a hole and hide for about three weeks.

It was a cold, dreary day. As soon as you stepped outside, the wind smacked you in the face. It didn't just smack you in the face, it went straight up your nostrils and gave you brain freeze. Every mile I drove further from home seemed like a thousand. I just wanted to go home. I was miserable.

<em>"Bing, bing, bing."</em> Stupid gas light. Stupid $3.20 cents a gallon. Stupid empty tank. Stupid payday another week and a half away.

I pulled into a gas station where other frozen customers were doling out their precious paychecks to fill their tanks. I felt so sorry for myself. My subconscious told me, "Would you like a pity party Ray? We can invite the whole neighborhood. You know there are people starving and dying right now, don't you?"

"Shut up, subconscious," I said as hammered it down with a short burst of jadedness.

I went into the gas station to prepay for my gas. Apparently, no one was scheduled to work that day. Apparently, the gas station owners did not realize that the entire world revolves around me and my busy schedule. Then I heard one of them. They were in the back. They were somewhere between the Red Bull cans and the wafting smells of fried gizzards laid out for the hungry customers waiting for a heart attack. They didn't know I could hear them.

"Can you believe Bill scheduled me for *&amp;^%$ New Year's Eve? And there's only two of us on the schedule!" employee number one said.

"What's wrong with that Lucy?" the other one said.

"Because after midnight you can't buy beer anywhere except the &amp;*&amp;^% gas stations!" She peered around the corner. "Oh, hi. I'm just complaining. What do you need?"

I told her what pump I was on and said, "Life stinks sometimes, doesn't it? Especially with a boss who doesn't understand."

"Yeah," she said. Completely understanding my irritation for all things human. I wanted her to hate life like I hated it for the stupid reasons I hated it.

I walked out the door and to my car and started pumping gas. My religious sub-conscious started kicking in, but I was hardly listening, "Ray, God is here. He is present." Whatever. Stupid voices. Need to go see my doctor again.

Out of the corner of my eye, in the blistering cold, I saw the most remarkable thing. I had to do a double take. I assure you, I am not making this up. I wish I were. Because it would have been easier to remain in my misery.

There was a white minivan pulled up on  an opposite set of pumps. It was rusted and worn and the back was open. But the van isn't important. The thing that caught my eye was a girl of about nine. She was jumping up and down on a pogo-stick.

I stared.

She had her brunette pigtails tied up and they were flopping up and down as she hopped next to the little discolored minivan. The thing that got me was the look on her face. It was the goofiest look of happiness. She had the biggest smile and her eyes were wide open. Bounce, bounce, bounce.

My Lord. She was happy.

My stupid brain kicked in, "How ridiculous. It's freezing cold! She could get hit by a car! Who jumps on a pogo-stick in the middle of a gas station parking lot? Who even jumps on a pogo-stick in 2o11?"

I said, "Shut up, brain. This is a beautiful moment."

She was happy. She had joy. I wanted that. I knew that kind of joy. It was within me. Problem was, I had allowed a thousand other things hinder my joy that day. In one small prayer, I let them all go.

The gas pump shut off and I snapped my attention downward. God had given me a moment to see the joy that I had within me. I looked up and she was pogoing on the other side of the van.

I got back into my car and smiled. Joy unhindered. That's how I want to choose to live. And with a goofy smile on my face.