Why do you think it is that God created us to be so hopeful and imaginative about our futures, but then only gives us enough time, energy, and resources to accomplish a small fraction of what we imagine? Every summer I run into this problem. I start the summer with such great ambitions and intentions and before you know it August is rolling around and I haven't started three quarters of what I had hoped to accomplish. This summer I was sure that I had set the bar reasonably; not too much, all doable, easily paced out over two-and-a-half months. I would say I've accomplished half of it, but that other half is going to be a doozy to pack into the next two weeks. How does this happen?!
I don't fault God for any of it. He created us to be creative. He gave us interests and ambitions so that we would enjoy moving forward in our creativity and efforts. And he does need to give us some parameters to abide by so that we don't go too crazy and try to build a skyscraper up to the heavens (like those guys I mentioned last week). Some of our ideas might seem great, but really should not be allowed to take form.
Can you imagine what it would be like to encounter the perfect summer (a la Phineas and Ferb), wherein you accomplish everything you could possibly imagine? What would you do after that? What's the point any more?
"What should we do this summer?"
"We could visit the miniature swamp volcanoes of the south Peruvian islands."
"Nah, we did that last summer."
The perfect summer can only possibly be followed up by the least interesting summer of all time. That's just the way we're wired. Oh, sure, we can still have a great summer. But there will always be something more to try for next year. It's like every comedian knows, you always end the show while they're still laughing; leave them wanting more. And as long as we are on this earth we will always find ourselves coming just short of being satisfied.
There will never be enough time. There will never be enough money, food, friends, adventures, or accomplishments. There will never be enough because we weren't built to be satisfied by anything on this planet or in this universe. We were built to enjoy it, certainly. But we were not intended to find our fulfillment in it. That we can only find in one place; a relationship with Jesus Christ, our creator and savior.
Ultimately, that is what God wants for us. So why should he give us unlimited resources to match our seemingly unlimited imagination? Just look at those people who seem to have it all. Do they appear satisfied in their accomplishments. Last I checked those people were generally miserable and still scrambling for more time. Think about it. Ashley Montagu explained it well when she said, "The idea is to die young as late as possible." They are all striving for immortality on earth. Even the wealthy don't have enough time.
But do you know who has all eternity? It's those crazy people who rather than pursuing fame and fortune have chosen to follow Jesus. That's what I'm banking on. My summer may be coming to an end, but that's okay because I have all the time in eternity to dream up more crazy projects and adventures.
It's not an exclusive club either. Anyone can join, but there is only one way in and there is a deadline. Jesus told his disciples, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." He is the only place to find true fulfillment and complete satisfaction for all eternity.
And on that note, I guess I'm okay with summer coming to an end so soon. Now where did I put my scarf and gloves?
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Why Is Communication So Hard?
Our world seems to be suffering from a communication breakdown. It permeates every facet of life from the personal level to the global. This communication breakdown can be traced back thousands of years to a unique incident. It was a wonderful time; a veritable utopia wherein all people spoke the same language and managed to work together toward a common goal. It would have been a perfect society except that their common goal was the obsoletion of God and the deification of man. Seriously though, it wouldn't have ended well. So God stepped in.
He recognized that if we were left to our own devices we could accomplish anything. Sounds great, right? I mean, that's what we keep telling our kids. The problem that God recognized was that the "anything" that we would choose to accomplish would have been horribly wrong and ultimately very bad for all parties involved.
So what does God do? Of course, he scrambles our communication systems. We know that God suddenly caused people to speak in different languages so that no one would understand anyone else. It would all sound like senseless babble. Kind of like when you listen to a talkative baby, or watch anime in the original language (I don't get it guys! The English dub might be a little over the top, but it's usually just as good, and you don't miss anything in the captions when you step away to grab your popcorn out of the microwave. Can't we all just get along?). Everyone was confused, and all production was ceased. People began spreading out (as God had told them to in the first place). It was probably not the solution I would have come up with, but I must say it was an effective strategy. Well played, God. Well played.
But I'm beginning to wonder, what if a change in languages wasn't the only thing that God did to human kind that day? What if God scrambled our entire communication system. Because communication is so much more than just speaking words in a known language and hearing words in a known language. There are senders, receivers, filters, encoding, decoding, and probably some steps that I'm forgetting right this moment. Even if God had left us all with the same language, but messed with just our encoding and decoding systems, we would be able to get...well, kind of where we are today.
Every day we produce statements that make perfect sense to us. Yet the people we are talking to seem to get the entire idea backwards or off in left field.
Part of the issue is that we sometimes use words with an intended meaning that is not inherent in the words themselves. Example: I know a guy whom I will refer to as "Reginald". When I am talking with Regy and he is explaining something to me he will periodically ask the question, "do you know what I mean?" For years I would answer based on my perceived understanding of what he was trying to communicate. If I thought I understood his intent, I would say "yes". If I was confused, I would say "no". It wasn't until more recently that I discovered the true meaning behind Regy's question. He wasn't really asking whether or not I understood what he meant. What he was actually asking was whether or not I agreed with his line of thinking. So now when I talk with Reginald and he asks, "do you know what I mean?" I will answer with a more clear, "yes, I know what you mean, but I don't/and I do agree with you."
These kinds of miscommunications have been damaging marriages for centuries (probably millennia). They are so common--especially when the encoding and decoding takes place across the gender filter--that comedians have been banking on these misunderstandings for quite some time. It's a regular Amelia Bedelia circus. What's even better is that we know we have this problem--we can even laugh about it if we have a healthy perspective on life--yet we still manage to get so incredibly frustrated when we find ourselves in those very same situations. I've been there. Some times I will even have enough presence of mind to realize that I am not actually communicating my message, but I still won't be able to find the right words to make my point. We can try, and try, and try again, and it still might not click all the way through to the other person.
What if that is part of what God did on that infamous day at the Tower of Babel? As if to say, "I'm going to make them all talk in different languages, but just in case they try to come back around to a more unified means of communication I will also jumble their sense of meaning as well...for good measure. That should keep them in line for a while." Boy howdy, did it ever! If there was ever any concern that we might all actually work agreeably together, it was taken care of right there and then. We've been at each others' throats ever since.
Just imagine with me for a moment if our tongues were graced with all the fruit of the spirit. What if every word from our mouths (which Jesus tells us is simply the overflow of the heart; in other words, the spiritual condition of our heart shapes our speech) was produced from a spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? What would happen if we allowed the Holy Spirit to encode our words? Rather than getting frustrated with others when they don't understand us, what if instead we recognized our own short-comings in understanding others, and showed grace and love to those around us?
There is no guarantee that all communication would become perfect because there is still a matter of the receiver requiring the Holy Spirit to decode the message. We can only do our part; we cannot dictate the actions and understandings of others. But we can show grace.
Lord, how can I use my words this week to show and share your love and grace to others?
He recognized that if we were left to our own devices we could accomplish anything. Sounds great, right? I mean, that's what we keep telling our kids. The problem that God recognized was that the "anything" that we would choose to accomplish would have been horribly wrong and ultimately very bad for all parties involved.
So what does God do? Of course, he scrambles our communication systems. We know that God suddenly caused people to speak in different languages so that no one would understand anyone else. It would all sound like senseless babble. Kind of like when you listen to a talkative baby, or watch anime in the original language (I don't get it guys! The English dub might be a little over the top, but it's usually just as good, and you don't miss anything in the captions when you step away to grab your popcorn out of the microwave. Can't we all just get along?). Everyone was confused, and all production was ceased. People began spreading out (as God had told them to in the first place). It was probably not the solution I would have come up with, but I must say it was an effective strategy. Well played, God. Well played.
But I'm beginning to wonder, what if a change in languages wasn't the only thing that God did to human kind that day? What if God scrambled our entire communication system. Because communication is so much more than just speaking words in a known language and hearing words in a known language. There are senders, receivers, filters, encoding, decoding, and probably some steps that I'm forgetting right this moment. Even if God had left us all with the same language, but messed with just our encoding and decoding systems, we would be able to get...well, kind of where we are today.
Every day we produce statements that make perfect sense to us. Yet the people we are talking to seem to get the entire idea backwards or off in left field.
Part of the issue is that we sometimes use words with an intended meaning that is not inherent in the words themselves. Example: I know a guy whom I will refer to as "Reginald". When I am talking with Regy and he is explaining something to me he will periodically ask the question, "do you know what I mean?" For years I would answer based on my perceived understanding of what he was trying to communicate. If I thought I understood his intent, I would say "yes". If I was confused, I would say "no". It wasn't until more recently that I discovered the true meaning behind Regy's question. He wasn't really asking whether or not I understood what he meant. What he was actually asking was whether or not I agreed with his line of thinking. So now when I talk with Reginald and he asks, "do you know what I mean?" I will answer with a more clear, "yes, I know what you mean, but I don't/and I do agree with you."
These kinds of miscommunications have been damaging marriages for centuries (probably millennia). They are so common--especially when the encoding and decoding takes place across the gender filter--that comedians have been banking on these misunderstandings for quite some time. It's a regular Amelia Bedelia circus. What's even better is that we know we have this problem--we can even laugh about it if we have a healthy perspective on life--yet we still manage to get so incredibly frustrated when we find ourselves in those very same situations. I've been there. Some times I will even have enough presence of mind to realize that I am not actually communicating my message, but I still won't be able to find the right words to make my point. We can try, and try, and try again, and it still might not click all the way through to the other person.
What if that is part of what God did on that infamous day at the Tower of Babel? As if to say, "I'm going to make them all talk in different languages, but just in case they try to come back around to a more unified means of communication I will also jumble their sense of meaning as well...for good measure. That should keep them in line for a while." Boy howdy, did it ever! If there was ever any concern that we might all actually work agreeably together, it was taken care of right there and then. We've been at each others' throats ever since.
Just imagine with me for a moment if our tongues were graced with all the fruit of the spirit. What if every word from our mouths (which Jesus tells us is simply the overflow of the heart; in other words, the spiritual condition of our heart shapes our speech) was produced from a spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? What would happen if we allowed the Holy Spirit to encode our words? Rather than getting frustrated with others when they don't understand us, what if instead we recognized our own short-comings in understanding others, and showed grace and love to those around us?
There is no guarantee that all communication would become perfect because there is still a matter of the receiver requiring the Holy Spirit to decode the message. We can only do our part; we cannot dictate the actions and understandings of others. But we can show grace.
Lord, how can I use my words this week to show and share your love and grace to others?
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Coming Home
Two thousand four hundred.
That is how many miles I have driven in the last nine days. I just got back from a trip home to visit family and friends. It was a week of fun, work, parties, and shenanigans. Oh, and lots of babies. Babies are the new trend. Babies and Pokemon Go. Who knew?!
The weird thing about returning to your hometown, where your family still lives in the same house and most of your friends from the area are still there, is that it feels like home. So, I went home for a visit, but when the visit was over I came back home. How does that work?
I've encountered this phenomenon before. I call it the home-away-from-home complex. No, the land-of-Oz syndrome. That's not it either. How about time-share mentality? Okay, I don't know what to call it, but the crux of the matter is that you live with a sense of having multiple homes. Researchers have yet to discover how this phenomena occurs (says the guy who has done zero research to see if that is even true), but I have a few theories.
My first theory is the spacial imprint theory. The basic idea is that because of various life experiences a location becomes emotionally imprinted on your brain in a way that draws you back time and again. These "home" locations are the geographical stages of primarily fond or formative moments in life. Some times these places take years to imprint while others take only a moment. I even have friends who have visited other countries for a couple days yet created such fond memories that they continue to live the rest of their lives feeling as though a part of them is meant to go back. Then there are those unfortunate few who, because of life circumstances, are never given the opportunity to develop a fond connection with any location. They go about their lives with no point of connection, and no sense of permanence or home.
Under this theory the sense of multiple homes can be compared to possessing multiple real estate investments. You have your modest house in the suburbs, your beach home in Santa Cruz, and your penthouse in Manhattan. They are all yours even though you are not always at each location.
My second theory involves parallel dimensions, string theory, and a quasi deja vu sixth sense. I won't go into that here.
My final stab in the dark is the relational connection theory. This hypothesis suggests that it is not the location at all, but the people who make a place feel like home. Similar to the spacial imprint theory, the relational connections are formed through positive or formative experiences. Family tends to be a common theme when defining home because in most situations people are surrounded by family (parents, siblings, cousins, etc.) through many of the most formative years of life. For some people home is defined by friends because those are the people with whom they connected during those pleasant and important moments.
The great thing about this theory is that "home" can be anywhere. It can be confusing and frustrating at times because you can't visit all of "home" in one summer (not on a music teacher's budget anyway). However, "home" eventually comes around to a beautiful conflux of family and friends when we all gather together around the throne of God to praise and adore him. You see, no matter how many "homes" I develop on this world, I will never truly feel as though I have come home until that day when I see my Lord and King and kneel before his throne lifting my voice in worship to the one who created me, rescued me, and gave me eternal life. That is my real home.
Paul reminds us of where we belong when he says, "you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19). At other times Paul describes us as "sojourners" which are people who are just passing through a location as they travel to their final destination. And as he describes how we ought to live among unbelievers he tells us, "our citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20), which is to say that we belong to another country with another law and code and another way of life. Even these frail and flawed bodies are described as "tents"; temporary dwellings which we will one day cast aside as we are given our eternal and glorified bodies.
I hope you will be there on that day. It makes all the difference even in this life.
Now as I settle back into my comfortable living space and my wonderful community, into this place that I call "home", I can know that even this feeling of coming home is just a shadow of what I will experience on that great and glorious day when I meet my Savior face to face and he tells me, "welcome home."
That is how many miles I have driven in the last nine days. I just got back from a trip home to visit family and friends. It was a week of fun, work, parties, and shenanigans. Oh, and lots of babies. Babies are the new trend. Babies and Pokemon Go. Who knew?!
The weird thing about returning to your hometown, where your family still lives in the same house and most of your friends from the area are still there, is that it feels like home. So, I went home for a visit, but when the visit was over I came back home. How does that work?
I've encountered this phenomenon before. I call it the home-away-from-home complex. No, the land-of-Oz syndrome. That's not it either. How about time-share mentality? Okay, I don't know what to call it, but the crux of the matter is that you live with a sense of having multiple homes. Researchers have yet to discover how this phenomena occurs (says the guy who has done zero research to see if that is even true), but I have a few theories.
My first theory is the spacial imprint theory. The basic idea is that because of various life experiences a location becomes emotionally imprinted on your brain in a way that draws you back time and again. These "home" locations are the geographical stages of primarily fond or formative moments in life. Some times these places take years to imprint while others take only a moment. I even have friends who have visited other countries for a couple days yet created such fond memories that they continue to live the rest of their lives feeling as though a part of them is meant to go back. Then there are those unfortunate few who, because of life circumstances, are never given the opportunity to develop a fond connection with any location. They go about their lives with no point of connection, and no sense of permanence or home.
Under this theory the sense of multiple homes can be compared to possessing multiple real estate investments. You have your modest house in the suburbs, your beach home in Santa Cruz, and your penthouse in Manhattan. They are all yours even though you are not always at each location.
My second theory involves parallel dimensions, string theory, and a quasi deja vu sixth sense. I won't go into that here.
My final stab in the dark is the relational connection theory. This hypothesis suggests that it is not the location at all, but the people who make a place feel like home. Similar to the spacial imprint theory, the relational connections are formed through positive or formative experiences. Family tends to be a common theme when defining home because in most situations people are surrounded by family (parents, siblings, cousins, etc.) through many of the most formative years of life. For some people home is defined by friends because those are the people with whom they connected during those pleasant and important moments.
The great thing about this theory is that "home" can be anywhere. It can be confusing and frustrating at times because you can't visit all of "home" in one summer (not on a music teacher's budget anyway). However, "home" eventually comes around to a beautiful conflux of family and friends when we all gather together around the throne of God to praise and adore him. You see, no matter how many "homes" I develop on this world, I will never truly feel as though I have come home until that day when I see my Lord and King and kneel before his throne lifting my voice in worship to the one who created me, rescued me, and gave me eternal life. That is my real home.
Paul reminds us of where we belong when he says, "you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19). At other times Paul describes us as "sojourners" which are people who are just passing through a location as they travel to their final destination. And as he describes how we ought to live among unbelievers he tells us, "our citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20), which is to say that we belong to another country with another law and code and another way of life. Even these frail and flawed bodies are described as "tents"; temporary dwellings which we will one day cast aside as we are given our eternal and glorified bodies.
I hope you will be there on that day. It makes all the difference even in this life.
Now as I settle back into my comfortable living space and my wonderful community, into this place that I call "home", I can know that even this feeling of coming home is just a shadow of what I will experience on that great and glorious day when I meet my Savior face to face and he tells me, "welcome home."
Sunday, July 03, 2016
Complaining Is Not the Answer; It's the Problem
I like to learn new things. New experiences and especially new skills are high on my list of interests. When given an opportunity to learn a new skill that has potential future value, I am almost certain to jump at it. That is why I was more than willing to join the construction crew on my principal's house.
I've had my hand in a few remodeling and construction endeavors over the years. Yet, there is always more to learn, and--so long as I am paying attention--I can only improve with practice. So of course I said yes. After spending nine months in a classroom doing musical calisthenics (because I am convinced that my students think I'm waving my arms around for my health) I need a change of pace and a new challenge.
And that brings me to where I am today, one month into the project and...holding a bad attitude.
Where did that come from?!
It's hard to say exactly how these grubby worms of internal nastiness come to exist, but there comes a time when your can of worms spills over into a five gallon bucket that everyone can smell. I must admit that when I think back on the proceedings of the last two months I can easily trace the origins and maturation of these negative emotions. Even before we started the project I was looking forward to being done. Yes, I want the work. Yes, I want the experience. However, there are a number of other things I want to be able to focus my time and energy on right now and in the future. Even the faint whispers of other opportunities and projects gives rise to a revolt inside my mind. If there is something else that I want to be doing but I can't do at this time, a part of me will probably blame whatever it is that I am actually doing. Some times it makes sense; not always. But it's too late. The water has been poisoned, and my attitude is in jeopardy.
Next thing you know I start making comments; little statements of discontent; small grumblings. Any talk of extending the wait or any additional inconvenience becomes a mounting catastrophe; an insurmountable injustice.
Now, I know that there are many of you who will not understand this progression of frustration because you don't live in the same world as me. You don't walk through life with the same cares and concerns. And that is just fine. We each have our own burdens to bear. But I know that I am not alone in this. I have met others with similar personalities and common struggles. Additionally, Paul makes it rather clear that there are others like me when he tells us to knock it off:
Are there legitimate things to complain about? Absolutely. There are plenty of real issues involving actual injustices and moral degradation. Yet even in these areas there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to air these grievances. But if I allow my life to become a continual rant on the minor irritations of my ever-so-important life, I will not shine the light of God's truth, love, and life in this dark, complaining world.
The fact of the matter is, I know from whence most of these complaints come. They do not come from God. There is another force at work in our world, and he wants us to keep our focus on ourselves. He wants us to develop a mentality wherein we are the most important element of our universe, and our individual desires and comforts are to be the top priority. Jesus also tells us that this other force is out for three things: to steal, kill, and destroy. By encouraging our complaining he effective steals our joy; he kills our eternal life which is found by abiding in God; and he destroys our hope of finding true satisfaction, peace, and purpose in God. By instigating a campaign to improve our own lives, Satan sets us on a course to ruin our own lives.
What makes it worse is that it doesn't stop with me. Complaining is contagious. When we are in an atmosphere of grumbling it can be very hard to keep from grumbling ourselves. I witnessed this first-hand at camp. I was a part of a college-age summer staff wherein we all signed up to serve knowing full well that it involved a lot of hard and dirty work (think 50 toilets weekly and you might begin to understand a portion of the challenge). Within three weeks our summer staff community had already developed a blatantly verbalized distaste for all work that involved restrooms, dish rooms, vacuums, bedrooms, and actually waking up in the morning. We complained about it, and we commiserated over it, and we made ourselves miserable.
Somewhere around week five I finally had a revelation. Didn't I sign up for this? I've done this before and chose to come back for another summer of this exact work. I wanted to come here to serve. Why am I complaining about having to serve? It wasn't easy to change my gut reactions and my perspectives on the work with all the negative talk around me, but I was able to salvage much of the summer. More importantly, I was able to serve with a willing heart and even enjoy it.
So here I am, a month into the summer, doing work that I wanted to do, and I find myself complaining.
God, I need your help to shift my attitude. Help me to seek to serve you in all that I do. Help me to rejoice in you always. Help me to live a life of gratitude in all situations. And help me to share your joy, peace, life, and hope with others as I work.
I've had my hand in a few remodeling and construction endeavors over the years. Yet, there is always more to learn, and--so long as I am paying attention--I can only improve with practice. So of course I said yes. After spending nine months in a classroom doing musical calisthenics (because I am convinced that my students think I'm waving my arms around for my health) I need a change of pace and a new challenge.
And that brings me to where I am today, one month into the project and...holding a bad attitude.
Where did that come from?!
It's hard to say exactly how these grubby worms of internal nastiness come to exist, but there comes a time when your can of worms spills over into a five gallon bucket that everyone can smell. I must admit that when I think back on the proceedings of the last two months I can easily trace the origins and maturation of these negative emotions. Even before we started the project I was looking forward to being done. Yes, I want the work. Yes, I want the experience. However, there are a number of other things I want to be able to focus my time and energy on right now and in the future. Even the faint whispers of other opportunities and projects gives rise to a revolt inside my mind. If there is something else that I want to be doing but I can't do at this time, a part of me will probably blame whatever it is that I am actually doing. Some times it makes sense; not always. But it's too late. The water has been poisoned, and my attitude is in jeopardy.
Next thing you know I start making comments; little statements of discontent; small grumblings. Any talk of extending the wait or any additional inconvenience becomes a mounting catastrophe; an insurmountable injustice.
Now, I know that there are many of you who will not understand this progression of frustration because you don't live in the same world as me. You don't walk through life with the same cares and concerns. And that is just fine. We each have our own burdens to bear. But I know that I am not alone in this. I have met others with similar personalities and common struggles. Additionally, Paul makes it rather clear that there are others like me when he tells us to knock it off:
"Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." (Philippians 2:14-15)You don't have to scroll very far through your facebook feed to find some complaint about something. My job is too hard. My family isn't fair. Our government is wrong about this issue. I don't like my hair. McDonalds put pickles on my burger! If I am going to shine in this world, if I am to stand out from the crowd in a positive way, I must take control of my complaints.
Are there legitimate things to complain about? Absolutely. There are plenty of real issues involving actual injustices and moral degradation. Yet even in these areas there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to air these grievances. But if I allow my life to become a continual rant on the minor irritations of my ever-so-important life, I will not shine the light of God's truth, love, and life in this dark, complaining world.
The fact of the matter is, I know from whence most of these complaints come. They do not come from God. There is another force at work in our world, and he wants us to keep our focus on ourselves. He wants us to develop a mentality wherein we are the most important element of our universe, and our individual desires and comforts are to be the top priority. Jesus also tells us that this other force is out for three things: to steal, kill, and destroy. By encouraging our complaining he effective steals our joy; he kills our eternal life which is found by abiding in God; and he destroys our hope of finding true satisfaction, peace, and purpose in God. By instigating a campaign to improve our own lives, Satan sets us on a course to ruin our own lives.
What makes it worse is that it doesn't stop with me. Complaining is contagious. When we are in an atmosphere of grumbling it can be very hard to keep from grumbling ourselves. I witnessed this first-hand at camp. I was a part of a college-age summer staff wherein we all signed up to serve knowing full well that it involved a lot of hard and dirty work (think 50 toilets weekly and you might begin to understand a portion of the challenge). Within three weeks our summer staff community had already developed a blatantly verbalized distaste for all work that involved restrooms, dish rooms, vacuums, bedrooms, and actually waking up in the morning. We complained about it, and we commiserated over it, and we made ourselves miserable.
Somewhere around week five I finally had a revelation. Didn't I sign up for this? I've done this before and chose to come back for another summer of this exact work. I wanted to come here to serve. Why am I complaining about having to serve? It wasn't easy to change my gut reactions and my perspectives on the work with all the negative talk around me, but I was able to salvage much of the summer. More importantly, I was able to serve with a willing heart and even enjoy it.
So here I am, a month into the summer, doing work that I wanted to do, and I find myself complaining.
God, I need your help to shift my attitude. Help me to seek to serve you in all that I do. Help me to rejoice in you always. Help me to live a life of gratitude in all situations. And help me to share your joy, peace, life, and hope with others as I work.
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