Day 46: The Best Things In Life Are: Centered In Eternity
Read: Philippians 1:12 - 30; Ecclesiastes 3:9 - 15
You have probably heard that if life hands you a bushel of lemons - make a lemonade stand and make some money selling Grand Ma's best lemonade. If you cannot see the forest through the trees, then grab yourself a pair of clippers and trim some limbs. If you feel like you are always walking in the dark - then turn on all the
lights. Cannot see where you are going - then it would be a good idea
to open up your eye lids. It is a list that goes on and on. Our parents
learned from their parents these small little bits of encouragement
which they try to pass down to their own children when life happens not
quite the way we would have always hoped - sometimes life just becomes crummy and seems to stay that way for a while, our home away from home.
At one time or another we all face crummy situations. Whether it’s an
overwhelming tragedy like the death of a loved one or both you or a
loved one is diagnosed with a chronic illness, the stock market
threatens your retirement portfolio, perhaps the housing market takes a
dive, your job is threatened by the economic downturn in our country,
the car wont start and you need to get to work ... right on down to just
plain having a bad day. Let's face the reality of all this -- sometimes
life is going to suck!
It can last for a day, a week, a few weeks, a month or two or several or much longer. It will drag you down, turn your mood upside down and backwards. It can
make the home front a battle front. At work, people just do not want to
be around the water cooler when you are standing there and your lunch
table becomes a very quiet and lonely place. You start hearing whispered
words like 'grump' as you walk by people. You are no longer the life of the party but the ..... of it. Life is just staying crummy a bit longer than we hoped for or expected.
But what now? How do you live with the 'grumps'? How can you possibly, purposely
continue to live among the 'grumps'? How long can you put up with it? How long can we endure it? So, okay -- where is your patience? As believers we can face them with joy. We
can intentionally face down the 'grumps' with a smile that goes from one ear to the
other - Why not surprise them and put your hand on their shoulder and
say: "Smile, God loves you" - Smile, after all God loves a good grump
as much as He does me". God can take our difficulties and trials and
suffering turning them into a celebration. We can come along side, break
the 'grump' cycle.
The first time may not make a difference
but it will plant a seed of hope in someones heart and somewhere inside
that grump' I promise you that the beginnings of smile will begin to
slowly germinate, and take shape. So, How can one smile all the time when this or
that is always happening at one time or another? It's easy, I look up to
the heavens and thank God that He is in charge of me! I thank God He is
living in the center of me!
Let us Pray: Lord, I surrender
myself to your Sovereignty over how the events of this day may influence
my thoughts, feelings or actions. That no matter how truly bad the
events of this day may become, help me to know that You are in charge of
it all. Send someone to come alongside of me when I am down with a
smile and compassion. I need to know and experience O Lord, the
blessings of both the sunshine and the rain. Lord, help me to truly experience and celebrate that You are and always will be at the very center of me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMbrgIl1DIc
Read: Philippians 1:12 - 30; Ecclesiastes 3:9 - 15
You have probably heard that if life hands you a bushel of lemons - make a lemonade stand and make some money selling Grand Ma's best lemonade. If you cannot see the forest through the trees, then grab yourself a pair of clippers and trim some limbs. If you feel like you are always walking in the dark - then turn on all the lights. Cannot see where you are going - then it would be a good idea to open up your eye lids. It is a list that goes on and on. Our parents learned from their parents these small little bits of encouragement which they try to pass down to their own children when life happens not quite the way we would have always hoped - sometimes life just becomes crummy and seems to stay that way for a while, our home away from home.
At one time or another we all face crummy situations. Whether it’s an overwhelming tragedy like the death of a loved one or both you or a loved one is diagnosed with a chronic illness, the stock market threatens your retirement portfolio, perhaps the housing market takes a dive, your job is threatened by the economic downturn in our country, the car wont start and you need to get to work ... right on down to just plain having a bad day. Let's face the reality of all this -- sometimes life is going to suck!
It can last for a day, a week, a few weeks, a month or two or several or much longer. It will drag you down, turn your mood upside down and backwards. It can make the home front a battle front. At work, people just do not want to be around the water cooler when you are standing there and your lunch table becomes a very quiet and lonely place. You start hearing whispered words like 'grump' as you walk by people. You are no longer the life of the party but the ..... of it. Life is just staying crummy a bit longer than we hoped for or expected.
But what now? How do you live with the 'grumps'? How can you possibly, purposely continue to live among the 'grumps'? How long can you put up with it? How long can we endure it? So, okay -- where is your patience? As believers we can face them with joy. We can intentionally face down the 'grumps' with a smile that goes from one ear to the other - Why not surprise them and put your hand on their shoulder and say: "Smile, God loves you" - Smile, after all God loves a good grump as much as He does me". God can take our difficulties and trials and suffering turning them into a celebration. We can come along side, break the 'grump' cycle.
The first time may not make a difference but it will plant a seed of hope in someones heart and somewhere inside that grump' I promise you that the beginnings of smile will begin to slowly germinate, and take shape. So, How can one smile all the time when this or that is always happening at one time or another? It's easy, I look up to the heavens and thank God that He is in charge of me! I thank God He is living in the center of me!
Let us Pray: Lord, I surrender myself to your Sovereignty over how the events of this day may influence my thoughts, feelings or actions. That no matter how truly bad the events of this day may become, help me to know that You are in charge of it all. Send someone to come alongside of me when I am down with a smile and compassion. I need to know and experience O Lord, the blessings of both the sunshine and the rain. Lord, help me to truly experience and celebrate that You are and always will be at the very center of me.
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