A View of Stuff
Yesterday, my husband and I were in a conversation with several other people when he shared something pretty cool. He'd run into a good friend recently who asked him how things were going in his congregation (he pastors a small church), to which he responded, "Great!"
The friend said, "Really?"
He replied, "Actually, things are in about the same shape as they were last time we talked, but I've just decided to look at them more positively."
Everyone in the group smiled. Including me. Don't we all recognize the universality of his experience?
Or are we the only ones in whose life stuff happens? Why, in just the past couple months, for instance, one of our sons broke his nose ($250 deductible, a surgery and two very uncomfortable splints in his nostrils for a couple weeks), another son lost a roommate and totalled his car in a couple days' time (he's moved back home to regroup for a few months), and we've had vandalism to BOTH our cars (a neighbor kid went a little nutty with a BB gun and shot out some windows -- a hassle to get fixed on my own, my husband beingout of the country for two weeks! Soooo uncool to drive around town in cars with clear plastic duct taped to the window frames awaiting scheduled repairs!).
I could go on, but no doubt you could fill in the blanks with your own stuff. The point here is not really the stuff, but how we view the stuff.
So, why not take a page out my sweetie's playbook? When stuff's happening, even lots of stuff, and you're tempted to slide into negativity, remember...
The friend said, "Really?"
He replied, "Actually, things are in about the same shape as they were last time we talked, but I've just decided to look at them more positively."
Everyone in the group smiled. Including me. Don't we all recognize the universality of his experience?
Or are we the only ones in whose life stuff happens? Why, in just the past couple months, for instance, one of our sons broke his nose ($250 deductible, a surgery and two very uncomfortable splints in his nostrils for a couple weeks), another son lost a roommate and totalled his car in a couple days' time (he's moved back home to regroup for a few months), and we've had vandalism to BOTH our cars (a neighbor kid went a little nutty with a BB gun and shot out some windows -- a hassle to get fixed on my own, my husband beingout of the country for two weeks! Soooo uncool to drive around town in cars with clear plastic duct taped to the window frames awaiting scheduled repairs!).
I could go on, but no doubt you could fill in the blanks with your own stuff. The point here is not really the stuff, but how we view the stuff.
So, why not take a page out my sweetie's playbook? When stuff's happening, even lots of stuff, and you're tempted to slide into negativity, remember...
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
-- I Corinthians 10:13 NKJV
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And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
-- Romans 8:28 NKJV
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For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
-- Hebrews 13:5b NKJV
posted by Linda at
10:41 PM
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