I know this might be a little heavy for a Friday, but here's what was in my head this morning.Let's suppose that I told you that you had to go to jail. My guess is that the length of the term would really affect how you felt about the situation. For example, a three-day term would make you feel a whole lot different than a 30-year term. You would probably feel even worse if the term was indefinite.
Here's what I'm getting at...what we know about the duration of a difficult situation has a major impact on our attitude--and consequently our behavior.
We feel better, even in tough times, when we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Even though the situation persists, the light provides some sense of HOPE.
So, what's the point?
The point is, too often we live in misery and dispair simply because we don't the light. Hopelessness and complaining dominate our attitude and action.
Well, just because you don't see the light doesn't mean it's not there. In fact, if we would stop sulking and start walking, we'd find ourselves closer to the end of the tunnel.
I'm trying to get better at living in confidence and peace even when there seems to be no light anywhere. I hope you will join me.
Have a great weekend!
2 comments:
I just recently came out of a 5 year and a 7 month storm. I knew the 5-year light would come and I knew it would be about 5 years (actually it was seemed shorter and seemed to past quicker looking back). The 7 month storm, I didn't expect to last as long. I say that to say this - I know there is an end to every stormy situation. I just do everything possible to hold on. Once it is over, there is a period of rest and refreshing...just a period. I also know now that they will never stop coming. During the period of rest and refreshing, brace yourself for another one is on the horizon.
This goes back to Ecclesiastes and how God works in seasons.
Your life is filled with many HARVESTS as well as many SEASONS (storms).
The funny thing is that people want the harvest without one or more of the following:
(1) doing the necessary labor (work) to ensure a proper harvest;
(2) waiting the necessary TIME to ensure that the harvest is bountiful, has matured and is ripe; or
(3) understanding that labor and patience doesn't necessarily guarantee a fruitful harvest but increases our chances for one.
One of God's spiritual rules is:
YOU CAN NOT FAKE THE HARVEST!
The storms are designed to test you, build your stamina, and refine your character.
You should perform a post-mortem after each storm and gather what you have learned from that storm to increase your level of preparedness for the next one.
This is the "bracing" to which sande refers.
When you understand the cyclical nature of life and see the patterns for what they are, you are well on your way to handling any Hurricane Katrinas that may arise.
Post a Comment