Smile with Hope

-

Disclaimer: This blog will basically be one long rant, all of which is merely my personal opinion. It is directed to those who already profess to be Christ-followers. Those of you who still doubt the existence of God, as our Creator, are not held to the same standards.

Another election is coming up on Tuesday of this week. Yes, we are all tired of the countless mailings received daily, the divisive social media posts and the political ads which attack the opposing candidate with whatever shocking news they can dig up from that person's past. Conservative, Republican, Liberal, Democrat, Independent, Third Party, in the end what label the candidate wears really doesn't matter. They are all flawed humans who, in the end, will do whatever is in their favor. Even if they confess to follow Christ, there is a system in which they must navigate, like it or not. If we are putting our hope of a good future in the hands of any human being, what are we doing?? "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes." Psalms 118-8-9 (NIV)

There are so many fellow believers I come in contact with who have a negative view of current events even to the point that they walk around feeling a deep and dark hopelessness. Well-meaning Christian podcasters or those that maybe have other titles but have the same amount of influence over a large following are coming out against Christian pastors, churches and worship leaders leaving us with the sense that there is no good left in the world. I'm not saying we don't need to be educated but if you listen to a certain person, don't take their word as gospel. Instead, look to the actual Gospel and decide, with God's help, how it lines up to what that particular person is "warning" us about. Let's also be clear, if we think the world today is as evil as it gets, buckle up because you are in for a bumpy ride. The bible says very matter-of-factly that toward the end of days; we will see an increase in wickedness. We should not be surprised or disheartened by the current state of the world. "For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now - and never to be equaled again." Matthew 24:21 (NIV)

We are called to be separate from the world. That doesn't mean we isolate ourselves. After all, how can we shine our light if we are hidden in a room, keeping to ourselves? I also don't think that means we should walk around pushing our "wisdom" onto others, randomly giving advice for situations in which it is not asked. We can, however, walk around with a smile on our face in all situations. We will grieve, we will experience physical pain, we will battle with bouts of depression. Yes, we will feel all of these human emotions, just as Jesus Christ did when He walked the soil of this earth in His full humanity. We are not, however, to remain stuck in any of these emotions. In my opinion and my opinion only, I think it is a sinful vice to hold onto any one of those emotions and make it our identity. Why? Because we have the greatest source of hope living inside of us! We are to share our burdens with Him and allow Him to carry them. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV)

Shake off your despair, open the blinds, and let the sun shine in. Put a smile on your face and, more importantly, put a smile in your heart. Hold your head high, look up to the sky and its Creator. Know where your hope comes from. We know the ending of the story, and we are on the winning side! "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (NIV)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Beginning of the End?

-
Image
 In early 2023, I began having some new aches and pains which, being in my late 40's, was not necessarily unusual. I was a runner with a three day a week, 3-to-6-mile routine established, and I had been dealing with Plantar Fasciitis for about nine months at this time, but the pain was starting to change and seemed to be moving further up my left leg. I talked to my family doctor about it, and he referred me to a physical therapist. I started there in May 2023, with visits up to three days a week lasting an hour to an hour and a half each and each session having a co-pay. The time commitment and money started to add up. After a month of PT sessions, nothing had really changed, and we determined that I should probably see an Orthopedic Doctor. I was able to get a visit within a few weeks.  My first visit with the Orthopedic office was on June 26, 2023. X-rays were taken that day in the office. The results showed some arthritis but nothing else significant. At first it was sugge...
Read more

Take the First Step

-
Image
I had my response typed out, ready to hit "send," but instead I sat there with a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. I really want to say "yes," but I'm also scared so maybe I should say "no?" Back and forth, yes and no battled in my head.  Finally, I said to myself, "Take the first step, make a decision, and you will feel better either way." I locked in my "yes" response and sent it. I have been asked for the past two years whether I would like to participate in a 4-person relay run to raise money to dig wells so villages in countries such as Uganda, Guatemala and South Asia could have clean water closer to home. I declined both years but now I was being asked again, for the third year in a row. Like I stated previously, I really wanted to say yes but I was scared.  The leg of my race would be five miles. I wasn't afraid that I could complete the distance. My hesitancy came from a place of a real fear of being the last pe...
Read more

Sacrifice

-
Image
My husband and I had the humbling opportunity to help place wreaths at Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery yesterday as part of the Wreaths Across America volunteer event that places wreaths on veteran gravesites across the United States every December. This event was started in 1992 by Morrill Worcester who also owned Worcester Wreath Company. They had a surplus that year and he had the idea of placing wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery. You can read the full history at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org . This was our third year helping with the event, after my (step)daddy was buried there in December 2021. I remember driving through after his ceremony and thinking how beautiful the wreaths looked, uniformly placed throughout the grounds.  The day opens with an hour-long ceremony in which each branch of the military is honored, Gold Star families are recognized, several short speeches are given, we sing the National Anthem, ending with taps and a three-volley salute. As an Americ...
Read more