Sometimes you realize that the good, the bad, the unexpected, the pleasant surprise are what makes life, life. We can’t control all that happens and from personal experience I can say “we don’t want to see it all laid out before us.” But I do know that each event or experience offers more than one way to react or better yet to act. The other day as I was leaving the hotel in Indianapolis the shopping bag I was carrying ripped. There was no way I was going to be able to maneuver my two pieces of luggage, my purse and a torn shopping bag. The hotel staff graciously found a hotel laundry bag and I removed the items that were in the shopping bag to the laundry bag. For a moment I thought and almost sarcastically said “great way to start my day.” But I thought I don’t have to look it that way. I don’t have to let a torn shopping bag ruin my attitude and/or my day. So I made a conscious choice to not let it ruin my day. Now some times that is easier to do that others but I have a choice how I react. I am trying to learn to take a breath and act upon the situation instead of react to it. My day included a delayed flight as well but I think because I had chosen to have a good day I saw my day through different glasses. They weren’t rose-colored but they weren’t dark either. 🙂
“If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds… If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
