Lucky, lucky

I went off blogging for a while as I settled into a new church, a new role and a new period of my life, but I realized how much I miss writing, how doing this keeps me accountable to doing my Bible reading and how I connect with people by my blog.  So I am back after a short hiatus, and if you are reading this, I want to thank you for your support. 

Someone asked me the other day, “how are you so lucky?”  I just smiled, I am lucky- but the thing that makes me lucky isn’t the fact that I have the most amazing husband of 9 years, 2 girls, stay at home, have great parents, fun sisters, good in-laws, a great church, good fiends.  That is only what they see on the outside.  I am “lucky” as they put it because Jesus loved me enough to die on the cross for my sins and I know it.  So my attitude daily isn’t about what I don’t have, it is about what I have in life.

I could sit here and have a bad attitude about how I don’t have a basement, cable, new cars, how the storm the other night ripped off shingles and ruined a lot at our house, that I don’t live where I want to, and I could be snarkey about things that have happened in my past, or about how certain people have treated me recently, but I try to choose not to be.  That is how I am lucky- THAT is what makes me lucky. 

My attitude is not always good.  It is not always happy, it is a lot of times negative and mean, but I find when I start my day out right (reading my Bible and prayer), then my attitude is much better.  Colossians 4:2 says “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving” (NASB) 

My daughter has a great little Veggie Tales devotional that we read at night.  The other night it had a poem in there that was found in the donut shop.  The basis of it was focus on the donut and not the whole.  Don’t focus on what you don’t have, instead, focus on what you DO have. 

I can’t tell you how many people I talk to that feel alone, that feel neglected and used.  People feel that they deserve something and they don’t get it, material or emotional, and they get really bent out of shape about it.  It is understandable that attitudes are bad when that is what you dwell on.  I feel that way a lot of times.  What I tell the people that I work with is to start focusing on the good things and being thankful for it.  We have had to look for good in a light bulb before!  But, once you find good in one thing, it is easier to find the good in a second thing, a third thing and then a fourth and then your whole life.  I love this passage in 1 Peter. 

1 Peter 3: 8-11 “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for he very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.  For ‘the one who desires life must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.  He must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and purse it.’ “

It is our charge to seek peace in our life- not toil.  We are doing a great series at church called “Better”- when life hands you choices, choose BETTER…  I loved the message this past Sunday about how sometimes we have to let go of what we consider good to grab onto the better…  in Ecclesiastes 6 it says “Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.” 

Why chase after what you don’t have instead of being truly grateful for what you do have and we have a lot!  We have a God that loves us and loved us enough to create us, send His Son to earth to die on the cross for our sins.  We have churches that want to be part of your life and help you get through the hard times (if you are looking for an awesome church in the Mattoon, Charleston area, we are so blessed by ours and our life group there.  It is called The Fields).  We have family, friends, loved ones that can be supportive and we have great and easy ways to connect to everyone and have more resources available for help today than ever in history.  Take advantage of our blessings – grab the handful of tranquility and not of toil….