The sunlight still shines and dogs still like their ears scratched. A smile in a moment beats the anxiety of a given day. The cares of the day, heavy though they may be, somehow find perspective as my dog rests her head on my chest. Sure, our threats press towards us, and still I choose to smile.
Tonight I knelt down at the bedside like I always have. No
matter how good or how messed up life has been, you'll always find me talking
to God about it at night. There is no-one I admire more than David of the Old
Testament. He was pretty severely flawed, but he never let that get in his way of
thanking and loving and praising God. There is something to that.
Now, I don't always feel like I connect. You know? Sometimes
my prayers feel fake, shallow, and just dumb. More often than not, maybe. But
tonight was one of those nights that make all the persistence worth it. Tonight
I found myself just pouring out thanks for each member of my Aspire team. I
went through them, name by name and thanked God for their talents, their heart,
their willingness to be out there in the community serving sons, daughters,
moms, dads, sisters, and brothers in our neighborhood who are dealing with
severe and chronic illness.
Dear friends, there is something ancient, authentic, and timeless about thanking our creator for the goodness that surrounds us. My recent separation and divorce from my wife has really been a toll. I'm sure some of you sneer and figure I deserve what I get, or paint monsters where there are none... but I am realizing that I do have permission to move past that. I am not condemned to misery.
And neither are you. Sure, there are things that we could feel miserable about. But let's choose to not even give them the courtesy of voice. No. Rather, I'll take walks with my children. I'll rub my dogs ears. I'll pray to my God and I'll give Him thanks for the good in my life.
The sunlight still shines and dogs still like their ears scratched.
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