Sit back and wait

Waiting is probably the hardest thing a person can do. What we want, we want now. That is one reason the fast food industry has become such an enormous success. Taking the time to sit in a restaurant to be served means that some other feature of life is delayed. But if we can eat on the run the possibility of multi-tasking is enhanced.

People in other cultures don't seem to be quite as hasty as Americans. There are still siesta times in some cultures and times in some cultures that seem insignificant. How do we distinguish between being too aggressive and being lackadaisical?

Wanting an event to take place builds anxiety as the days leading up to the event get seemingly longer. Often anxiety leads to stress which causes one to act in a way out of the ordinary. Some stress is necessary in life but too much stress is harmful and potentially fatal. The cause of the overabundance of stress is placing an undue amount of value to a temporal event. The wisest man that ever lived, Solomon, wrote, "He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end." He put eternity in their hearts means that man was made for eternity. Everything surrounding man was made for time. Therefore, nothing in time will ever satisfy man. Eternal values are what we are to desire.

Given this truth, we wait patiently for the things of this world not allowing artificial values to cloud our otherwise eternal desires. The psalmist said, "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him...do not fret--it only causes harm" (Psalm 37:7, 8).

Patience is a matter of values. If our values are temporal, we fret. If our values are eternal, we sit back and wait.

Extremes

Life is a huge spectrum with opinions and beliefs framing issues pole to pole. My opinion is as valid as any other opinion expressed, except of course when it runs afoul with your opinion. Then my opinion might be labeled as harboring some not so politically correct ideology, i.e., homophobe, racist, anti-immigration kook, right wing zealot, etc. Seldom will any thought be given to what I say as minds are occupied by how best villify me personally in order to discredit my opinion.

On the other hand, my opinion might be considered outside the bounds of acceptable standards and labeled left wing, liberal, bleeding heart, unpatriotic, etc. Seldom will any slack be given to anyone identifying themselves with these categories.

Opinions line the road stretching from one pole to the other. Self discovery generally reveals the fading tolerance for conflicting thought.

Can we come to the point where we respectfully disagree without personally attacking another party. The answer is likely closer to the middle than nearer the ends.

Intentional Gratefulness

Blessings come from many places. Sometimes those small positives in our life can be so seemingly insignificant that we assume they will last forever. We go about life expecting good things to happen to us or for us.

But what about those huge blessings that come along occassionally that knock our socks off? Something so outstanding that it changes the way we perceive life. It changes the way we view our circumstance. We go from hopeless one minute to absolutely enthralled the next. Is the change permanent or do we fall back into our old habits after a time of adjustment?

The answer is both.

We appreciate the giant blessing and for awhile bask in the warmth of a loving God who sprinkles us with graciousness. But as is too often the case we fall back into that old lack of appreciation habit and need another booster shot to remind us of just how fortunate we are. Aren't we blessed to have a God Who continually blesses us despite our lack of appreciation and our penchant for lapsing backward?

I think I'll make a resolution to be truly thankful for the small and large blessings in life so that I don't miss anything that God has in store for me. How about you?

What Choice Do I Have

The rain falls to the ground and moistens the earth. Portions of the terrain produce lovely flowers and vegetation, while other areas having received the same rain produces briers and thistles. How come?

The same twenty-four hours are afforded each person. A portion of the population stretches and grows becoming productive citizens, while others plot and scheme to gain for themselves something that's not theirs. How come?

Some might conclude fatalism, while others might attribute the influence of a misdirected childhood. Some might blame everyone else for personal circumstance, while others accept the responsibility for their action.

"The devil made me do it." "That's how I was raised." It's not my fault." "You can't blame me for that."

"It was my mistake." I'm sorry I failed you." "What can I do to make it up to you." "There is no excuse for my behavior."

The same sun shines, the same rain falls, the same twenty-four hours dawns daily. It's time for the soil to produce results rather than briers that produce excuse.