Today, I feel happy.
I feel Love.
I feel Hope.
And I feel that if life gets any better I might have died and gone to heaven.
Nothing special has happened. I didn’t win the lottery, (my chances at winning would improve, if I actually played it) and the kids are erupting in displays of selfishness right now as I write.
My coffee was watered down this morning, (I made it that way NOT on purpose) and the bottom of my foot is still bruised from last week. I haven’t gotten anything done yet today except talk with my kids and laugh about stuff and its noon. The dishwasher is going on its third month of being broken, and I’m still in my bathrobe and my hair has not been put up in the messy way I like to wear it.?(My first world problems are really quite pathetic, in fact sometimes I wonder if my problems are really worth talking about.)
Never the less my life is far from perfect and evil waits right around the corner with its club ready to take a swing when I least expect it. The thing that evil might not know, is that I know it thinks I don’t expect it, but I really do! Like a mom prepared with extra diapers and wipes when she has a baby in her care, I expect Evil to make a mess, and I try to be ready for whatever unfortunate situation it dishes out!
My nails aren’t bitten down to stubs, and I don’t have worry lines showing up on my forehead. And I am getting older, the clock is ticking on my earthly adventure.
Maybe the reason why I feel what I do in the very first line, isn’t because I Expect, but that I Accept what life is giving and I am actively choosing to see the good over the bad. Because there isn’t escape from injustice, it will always be here trailing us and working to defeat us. Always there, relentless in its nature. And maybe, I am learning to accept that life won’t ever be perfect in a sense where problems or hurt will ever not exist.
The Peace I find in Christ, is everlasting if I’m not constantly bailing off his ship. It doesn’t matter what sort of nasties I encounter on Kingdom Earth. If I stay focused on Christ, I will find thankfulness and peace wherever I am.
And that’s it.
Life isn’t about me.
It can’t be about me.
It’s about me serving God. And when I serve God, it seeps out of me too my family, my friends, and the strangers that I may never know their names.
God is, like the sun beam coming thru the statue’s jewel pointing to where the treasure is hidden. I am the statue, worthless, until his light beam uses me to show his enormity of glorious treasure troves.
If I cannot be joyful today, then when?
I have days where doubt tip toes in and sits right there next to me, staring me down like a ugly raptor. I have days where grouch is my middle name. ?(Prudence Grouch O’Hair) I have days, where I want to pretend that I am magnetic to the mattress. And there are those days, where the feeling of failure eats like cancer at the strands of hope I was strumming the day before.
I have those days. I am human just like you, but, tomorrow will be kinder, and that is the hope that pushes us thru the emotional winter days.
I will stand upon my lighthouse, with arms reached to the sky. And in the midst of my storm, I feel the ocean spraying the magnificence of Gods power and he will crack the clouds and bring the sun rays to shine hope.
Then, I must give Him all the glory.
Because, the glory, always belongs to Him. Not me.
(Note to self, God wants his glory back!)
I am embracing the hope within today, because I choose too.
Love, Joy, Peace. These beautiful things are gifts, and gifts can only be accepted by choice.
?May the God of hope fill you all with joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.? ?Romans 15:13
~Prudence
Alice, this one is so sooooooo so freaking good. Thank you for taking the time to write about this and everything. I know I’m biased for sure, but your not only a beautiful writer, but your words have depth that is pretty impactful. Thank you for being who you are, and doing what you do!
You inspire me Chris, Thank you for all you do.
Once again just fabulous. Thanks for sharing
My pleasure Rietta!
Thanks for sharing Sis! Chris is right, you are a pretty good writer.:)
Thank you Jenny. Call sometime!
Your words, chosen from your heart of love for your Lord, and drawn from His Living Waters bring inspiration to us with your honesty and humility in this world of deception and pride. Thank you, Lady Alice!!
I am most encouraged by your kind words Joe and Bonnie!
Alice….Chris mentioned how good this would be to read on FB, so I decided to check it out. I am so glad I did for more than one reason. First, I think I needed to be encouraged and inspired, and your words did just that. I also love getting to know more about you. Did I know that you are a deep person? Yes. Did I know that you could communicate your deep thoughts so effectively in writing? No. Now I do. Thank you for blessing me today! By the way, I so love the picture of your family. I showed it to my daughter, and we stood appreciating the purple….the flowers….the boys’caps…the gray that made it all stand out (including your beautiful face and earrings.) Just had to tell you that it’s a family work of art! Love you…Carol
Thank you for reading Carol! Thank you for your kind words. I am looking forward to building friendship with you!