Remember dear friends as you wake today to the news, the diagnosis, the trial or tragedy; none of it has the power to make us spin without our permission. We alone choose our thoughts and perspectives. That is one thing that may not be taken away. Also, no matter what the circumstances, as Christ followers we have this great hope of a perfect eternity. This world is not our home. As James 4:14 says of our life, so it is true of this world; it is like a morning fog, here today and gone tomorrow. Do not let your hearts be burdened. Keep your eyes fixed on the eternal and your thoughts embedded in the truth. May we all anchor ourselves in the life-giving words of Philippians 4:6-8 today and all the days we occupy this life: Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Lord, let your word not just be the song of our lips, but also the symbol of our lives. Amen.
Hey you, hey me, the thirsty, the desperate, the depleted, the exhausted…those barriers, wounds and struggles in our lives are not present by accident. They are there by assignment. Things that challenge us to our core either create or crush us. They are available for our gain and God’s glory. The difference in destroying us or defining us is our resolve to find the meaning and mission in our messes.