A Rainy Day
A friend called this afternoon and asked if I had time to talk. "Unless you are enjoying the sunshine and want to be outside" she said. "Uh, no" I said, "It is +5 degrees and raining here." Then I texted my brother to wish him "Happy Birthday" and he said he was BBQing with his family in the +23 degree weather. It seemed like everyone had sunshine except me. Our weather was windy, cloudy, and gloomy. It was not inviting. It was not enjoyable. I realized if I let myself go down the comparison road, I was about to end up in the ditch called "grouchy". So in order to avoid that ditch as I walked our dog this afternoon, I tried to find something I was thankful for. I looked at the river and saw them - pelicans! One of the joys of living in Selkirk is that we have pelicans arrive in April and I find them fascinating to watch. So I thanked God for them.
Often in life we can end up in circumstances that could be viewed as stormy or drab weather. It could be when things don't go the way we hoped or expected. It may be that we are dealing with illness or debt. Perhaps we've lost our focus and nothing seems significant or meaningful. I think you can fill in the blank for what it could be in your life: And if it isn't bad enough that we are going through some challenging time, when we look around, everyone seems to have it so much better than us. Their lives are "sunny" when ours are "cloudy".
What do we do on those days (or possibly seasons) of life when our circumstances aren't the same as friends, family, co-workers, fellow parishioners, or neighbours. Do we compare and get grumpy? Do we complain? Do we curl up under a blanket and not deal with it? Are there other options? Of course there are. There are many. Here are three that I thought of today. They are all very familiar Pauline passages. Maybe the reason they are so familiar is that Christians have been putting these verses into practice when they hit the storms and droughts of life. If they seem a little cliche or overused for you, that's okay. Ask God to give you what you need to get though when the "dreary weather" hits your life.
1) Give thanks.
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:18
2) Remember God is working in your situation to bring His redemption.
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8;28
3) Paul's secret of being content.
"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11-13
Blessings,
Tracy
Often in life we can end up in circumstances that could be viewed as stormy or drab weather. It could be when things don't go the way we hoped or expected. It may be that we are dealing with illness or debt. Perhaps we've lost our focus and nothing seems significant or meaningful. I think you can fill in the blank for what it could be in your life: And if it isn't bad enough that we are going through some challenging time, when we look around, everyone seems to have it so much better than us. Their lives are "sunny" when ours are "cloudy".
What do we do on those days (or possibly seasons) of life when our circumstances aren't the same as friends, family, co-workers, fellow parishioners, or neighbours. Do we compare and get grumpy? Do we complain? Do we curl up under a blanket and not deal with it? Are there other options? Of course there are. There are many. Here are three that I thought of today. They are all very familiar Pauline passages. Maybe the reason they are so familiar is that Christians have been putting these verses into practice when they hit the storms and droughts of life. If they seem a little cliche or overused for you, that's okay. Ask God to give you what you need to get though when the "dreary weather" hits your life.
1) Give thanks.
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:18
2) Remember God is working in your situation to bring His redemption.
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8;28
3) Paul's secret of being content.
"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11-13
Blessings,
Tracy
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