Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.
Summer is for fun.
This season will pass quickly, take time to celebrate life—have fun, create memories and refuel.
A stark memory rests in my mind from when I was a little girl that has never gone away. There was a woman in my life, (I’ll call her Frau Grumpy).
She followed most of life with clouds hanging over her demeanor— complaining, carrying around an Eeyore sort of "chip on her shoulder, she never ceased to sigh deeply, after almost everything she said. Supposedly she was a mature believer who had been a "committed" Christian since childhood. Yet, she always made me feel discouraged when I would go to her home as a child. Her spirit depleted those of us who had to spend time with her and also made me feel that it would be easy to disappoint her because everything around her did not meet up to her standards.
When at home recently, I was having a quiet time with the Lord, and He brought this to mind. I realized that this woman had high ideals, but her ideals did not include having a grateful, contented heart. And so, the spirit she cast on all that were in her wake was one of complaining and whining.
In this fallen world of ours, it is very easy to become disappointed with almost everything around us--the media, the television shows, the movies, politics, disasters, the lack of morality in our leaders, the economic crisis, people who compromise or are immature and disappoint us, and on and on. Many of us have very difficult circumstances to bear. Others have a terminally ill child. Marriage can be a place of strife and loneliness. Christians and family members can be our harshest critics. Yes, life can be extremely taxing. And, working through these obstacle courses of life can deplete us and has caused me considerable depression at times.
But what we practice on a daily basis when we face these trials, will determine, to some degree the legacy and memory we leave to those who know us well.
All of us must come to the conclusion at some point, that this is the "broken" place. This is the sphere in which sinful men have separated themselves from God's original design. Here, Satan prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may destroy. We should live to expect this as the place of warfare for the kingdom of God, and take up our arms as His soldiers to fight our battles with courage and faith.
But what we practice we will become. If we practice fear--being afraid what life could bring our way; or what may happen to our children at this point in history; or what if we go under financially; or what if my child who is learning to drive has a wreck on the freeway; etc., then we will become even more fearful and frozen in our ability to trust God.
If we practice criticism of others, complaining and seeing others with a judgmental attitude, we will become even more harsh and critical, unloving and self-centered.
If we practice living in guilt and inadequacy, we will become small in our own minds and not enjoy God's grace and unconditional love.
Whatever we water in the souls of our hearts will certainly grow. And if we water these "weeds" in the garden of our souls, they will certainly take over and devastate the crop of faith, love, thankfulness, grace, joy.
And if we practice these attitudes of "sin", our children will certainly follow our lead and become immature in the same areas of our own lives. What we sow, we will indeed reap, in our lives and in theirs.
What do you cherish in your heart and feel the right to engage in? Is is healthy? Is it producing life and peace? Observe and see what you are allowing your heart to engage in, because what you cherish will determine what your heart will produce. I share some of my pondering about this on my podcast today. I hope it encourages you.
