Skip to main content

Regroup and Refocus

 


                The Thanksgiving long weekend has just ended, and I hope you enjoyed it.  I cannot think of another year where we have needed a reminder to be thankful more than this one.

                People are tired.  They are depressed.  They are worn out and, when that happens, it becomes much easier to worry, awfulize, and focus on what we think is wrong all around us.

                However, the truth is that most of what makes our lives good remains relatively untouched by the odd circumstances of this year.  Even in the most difficult times, there are many things for which we can be thankful.

                Oftentimes, the scriptures that we know and love the most, were written to, or by, those who were in bad situations.  Listen to the apostle Paul as he writes from a Roman prison cell: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13).

                David was facing his enemies and possible death when he wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want” (Psalm 23:1).

                The apostle John was in exile on the island of Patmos when he had a vision of heaven.  He then assures us that, in the future, “God’s dwelling place [will be] among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).

                Jesus, himself, told his scared and uncertain disciples, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20) and he promised to send the comforter and helper, the Holy Spirit, to live with us (John 14).

                Therefore, I need to remember to see my real blessings.  I need to focus on what makes my life good and worthwhile, both now and eternally.  I need to see that, despite the very real problems around us, there are still many more reasons for hope and joy.

                Thanksgiving weekend is over, but let’s make sure that our thanksgiving has not ended.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dark and Light

            When you look out at the world, what do you see?             Some see nothing but trouble and pain.   They point to things like poverty, crime, problems with drugs and alcohol and marriage break-ups and say that the world is full of sadness and sorrow.   Watch the news for even a half hour and you will get the idea that the world is a dark place.             Others see nothing but good.   They appreciate generous people in their community.   They think about their friends and neighbours and smile.   They marvel at the beauty of sunrises and stars at night.   To them, the world is a bright and wonderful place.             You may be surprised that the Bible supports both of these world views.   On one hand it says things like, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the
1 comment
Read more

New Article: Five Words to Improve Your Relationships

                 In the late 1800s, it was common for railway companies to plant formal gardens beside their stations.   These gardens were filled with trees, shrubs, flowers, and fruit trees.   Sometimes they also featured a kitchen garden growing lettuce, carrots, corn, and potatoes.   Estevan’s Canadian Pacific Railway Garden was once located where Mid-City Plumbing and Heating is today.                The purpose of these gardens was to show what the land could produce.   After hours and sometimes days of riding across the featureless prairies, the railways wanted to show settlers the potential of their new home.   The gardens showed what was possible and they encouraged the settlers to transform their own land and discover its potential too.                Today’s verse acts similarly, in that it challenges us to find the potential in
Post a Comment
Read more

Forgetting What Is Behind

                   Generalizations are helpful because they show a pattern that is normally true. However, they are also dangerous because they ignore the exceptions to the rule.                  Here is my generalization:   It is a quality of the strong to be able to forget the past and move on.   The apostle Paul summarizes this idea when he states, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God had called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). Too often, we trip over things that are behind us.   We remember and nurse old hurts.   We rehearse mistakes that no one else recalls.   In doing so, we pull the past into the present and allow it to dictate how we feel right now.   In these cases, we would be better off “forgett
Post a Comment
Read more