Every person I know has lived through some pretty tough challenges. So many stories, my own among them. And I bet you have stories, too. So, a question for you: when everything seems tumultuous, when you can’t see, or when you feel overwhelmed and tired, how do you get through tough times well? There’s help by exploring two ways to live.
Have you ever been surprised by a small thing that turned out to be a pretty big thing? I had that experience in my quiet time recently. Several “game-changer” ideas landed significantly as I read and pondered. Naturally, I’m eager to share these with you. Perhaps they will encourage you, too. Will you join me to explore this content about “a thin silence?”
Do you remember the film, “Cast Away?” Tom Hanks plays a systems analysist named Chuck who is marooned on an island quite unexpectedly when his flight goes down over the Pacific Ocean. In this movie, you get a front-row seat on how a person might deal with loneliness. From hopelessness, to anger, to desperation, to finding a way. He’s alone on this island for four years! Meanwhile, he’s declared dead by family and friends back home. Chuck’s only friend is a volleyball that washed ashore from the plane wreckage. This ball becomes Chuck’s only friend: “Wilson.” Chuck becomes very familiar with the truth about loneliness.
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Well, it’s time! The last two Scripture dissections, God’s Timing and God’s Humor, we left something completely unresolved. The famine! And really – that’s an important development. We built up to it, showing how people suffered intolerably for three years. Now, Elijah introduces he’s back! And then introduces it’s God’s timing to end the famine. So, here is the amazing story – with a couple of twists and some teaching points.
Feeling down is a common, yet challenging condition to manage. Whether over-tired, mistreated, discouraged, or even struggling with depression – being on the “down side” is real.
Do you remember when you first learned how to clean up a mess? Whether it was your own mess or someone else’s, it stared you in the face, and you had to clean it up. So, what tools did you use to clean up the mess? From spills in the kitchen to oil overflows in the garage. Perhaps a pet issue or simply spilled milk. Whatever the mess to clean up – you need a sponge.
Many people feel invisible today. Some work hard and long to do the right thing – often behind-the-scenes – not for recognition or glory, but because it must be done. As a result, many folks with noble commitment go unnoticed. You’ve likely felt invisible in your hard work, faithfully doing what God asks each day. And “they” don’t seem to notice. But God notices. In fact, He says – “I Am They.”
As we go into today’s content . . . Learn Well – Live Well – Love Well . . . I first want to read off a list of one-liners we’ve heard over the years. They deal with the hum-drum of life:
Same old – same old
And on go the one-liners we’ve heard in a variety of ways. All seem to speak to an emptiness, dullness, boring repetition, and rather skeptical view of life.
But life is NOT hum-drum! Therefore, let’s explore a full, exciting, fresh-every-day, and rather hopeful view of life. Will you join me?
It was the final episode of a TV series, and I’d been waiting for weeks for find out what would happen. So, with a cuppa and my TV glasses, I sat in my favorite chair with eager expectation. About half-way through, I thought – “What?! Surely not! I know it’s going to end better than this!” Incidentally – it didn’t. And I was so disappointed. Over weeks of anticipation, I really did hope for more than that! In a similar way of hope, we can live for more – and have more – each day.
We live with boundaries every day. Some examples: Your yard ends, and the neighbor’s yard begins. Countries have boundaries to define territory. Speed limits keep traffic in check to prevent accidents. The zoo has walls, cages, and glass to keep children safe as they enjoy animals. Walls and doors form rooms – helpful when you need to sleep or take a shower. Banks with safes protect money. Oceans caress the beach only to a certain distance. If boundaries are so common all around us, then why is it hard to place and keep boundaries to protect our hearts and minds? Afterall, boundaries help.
