I have been out the last few days enjoying life and I can't believe I'm even saying this because I have been in such a funk for so long that I truly, in my heart thought I forgot how to be joyful. But something happened to me last week that was wonderful, God opened my eyes and I finally surrendered my spirit of entitlement and adopted a grateful heart! All last week, scenarios kept presenting themselves before me that were so profound and personally challenging. I saw a clear distinction between my suffering and how, even though it is challenging and severe to me, could be much, much worse! My blessings became more prominent and my heart began to expand with thankfulness! It says in the Psalms that a cheerful heart is good medicine and I have seen that proven true in the last few days. I chose good and grateful thoughts over whiny, complaining ones and my body reacted with a desire to go forth rather than to withdraw from life. I've been wanting this for so long but I just wouldn't let go of what I considered injustices in life. Now, I accept my crosses that were chosen precisely for me and offer praise and thanks to God as a sweet sacrifice (I still have my self-pity moments but I'm working on them :). I'm acknowledging that, compared to His cross and the suffering of so many others in this world, I can live with the pain in my body and certain circumstances because I now choose to be grateful for what I have AND even more so, what I do not have!
Even though much of my soul has been revealed in this blog, there are things in my life that run deep and are only dealt with between God and myself. I'm sure many of you have deep painful trenches in your lives that prove to be overwhelming at times. Broken marriages, the loss of a child, death of a spouse, health problems, ill loved-ones, fractured or strenuous relationships.......No one makes it through this life unscathed, and everyone can realize that there is someone out there whose difficulties far surpass their own. I may be far behind the curve on this, but I do know that from the beginning of time (Adam and Eve, the Israelite's,....), complaining has been an entrenched sin in the human nature and all the while God prods His people to have grateful and thankful hearts and that should always start with self. One thing I have learned is that most people don't like to be lectured on positive, optimistic thinking! When someone is suffering or feeling down, the best way to influence anyone is to just be kind, empathetic and display a grateful and thankful heart in your actions more than words. Kindness is such a soothing balm and even though I've been pretty isolated lately, God's kindness was always there for me....it just took having to change my attitude to see it.
The Christmas season can be a difficult time with families that are scattered around the world and expectations being set by the media and pretty much everything around us. So, this should be a year where we look inside rather than outside. We should compare our circumstances against the Bethlehem manger rather than the standards set by this world. Christ had no neo-natal care unit, no nursery painted in pastels with stuffed animals or even a soft clean bed. He had no luxuries throughout His life, no place to lay His head, no friends that stayed when He asked them to and no one with Him when He died on the cross at Calvary. Look at your life from that angle this year and you will feel so blessed, as I said, not just for what you have BUT for what you do not have. For things could always be worse.
Be kind, be thankful, forgive, give praise and love.
"Then you will call, and the Lord will answer. You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' " Isaiah 58:9
No matter how lonely you may feel, He is always with you and no matter how dark our circumstances are or feel, we have His light, that needs only to be turned on by a heart of gratitude.
Even though much of my soul has been revealed in this blog, there are things in my life that run deep and are only dealt with between God and myself. I'm sure many of you have deep painful trenches in your lives that prove to be overwhelming at times. Broken marriages, the loss of a child, death of a spouse, health problems, ill loved-ones, fractured or strenuous relationships.......No one makes it through this life unscathed, and everyone can realize that there is someone out there whose difficulties far surpass their own. I may be far behind the curve on this, but I do know that from the beginning of time (Adam and Eve, the Israelite's,....), complaining has been an entrenched sin in the human nature and all the while God prods His people to have grateful and thankful hearts and that should always start with self. One thing I have learned is that most people don't like to be lectured on positive, optimistic thinking! When someone is suffering or feeling down, the best way to influence anyone is to just be kind, empathetic and display a grateful and thankful heart in your actions more than words. Kindness is such a soothing balm and even though I've been pretty isolated lately, God's kindness was always there for me....it just took having to change my attitude to see it.
The Christmas season can be a difficult time with families that are scattered around the world and expectations being set by the media and pretty much everything around us. So, this should be a year where we look inside rather than outside. We should compare our circumstances against the Bethlehem manger rather than the standards set by this world. Christ had no neo-natal care unit, no nursery painted in pastels with stuffed animals or even a soft clean bed. He had no luxuries throughout His life, no place to lay His head, no friends that stayed when He asked them to and no one with Him when He died on the cross at Calvary. Look at your life from that angle this year and you will feel so blessed, as I said, not just for what you have BUT for what you do not have. For things could always be worse.
Be kind, be thankful, forgive, give praise and love.
"Then you will call, and the Lord will answer. You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' " Isaiah 58:9
No matter how lonely you may feel, He is always with you and no matter how dark our circumstances are or feel, we have His light, that needs only to be turned on by a heart of gratitude.
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