It's All in the Deciding

If you need a little encouragement and hope, today's post is specifically written with you in mind.

A precious bit of truth hit me in a fresh way while sitting on my porch this morning.  Part of the sky was already beginning to indicate the rich, pure tones of sunrise.  Clouds to the west were still dark, poorly defined and mysterious.  But when I looked east, there was one billowy column that almost glowed with its stark whiteness.

I hadn't moved from my chair.  Both cloud groupings were visible at the same time.  To the west, only shadowy blackness.  Looking to the east, morning had already burst onto the scene.  Color bounced off the cloud to my right.  Brilliant pinks and purples began flooding the sky behind the single white cloud.

A quick glance to the left confirmed that light had not yet reached that part of the heavens.  But because I'm now 60 years old I've experienced approximately 21,900 new days.  (Yes!  I certainly DID use my calculator to find out that information.)  After all those new day dawning experiences, I sat in my little chair knowing a few things were certain:

1. Given time, the sun WOULD shine on the clouds in the west, too.  If I had decided about my day based on how the western clouds looked at that moment I would have expected a dark, stormy day indeed.  But my assessment would have been wrong.
2. The magnificent colors painting the east last only a short time.  They must be experienced, appreciated and committed to memory quickly because (like many things in life) they are only available for a moment.
3. Even if this day DIDN'T dawn nicely, another would be on the horizon in just 24-hours.  Consistency is the hallmark of God's creation.  Deciding my focus was left completely up to me.

I sat and prayed for so many friends who are walking through places of uncertainty and difficulty.  That's when I realized there was a message of hope being written for us in the very atmosphere.

1.  No matter how bleak the situation may look right now, JOY will come in due time.  The inky cloud formations in the west gave no indication that light would impact them.  Your situation may appear the same, right now.  You find yourself wondering, "Will this ever change?"  "Is there any possibility that hope can be renewed?"  My cry to you is, "YES!"  

     Give the God of this universe time to work on your behalf.  Difficulty is a part of every life.  Struggle and disappointment come to us all.  But scripture promises He knows what we need even before we call to Him.  God hasn't moved from His throne, He sees more than just this moment in your life.  Ask God to shape your perspective based on HIS vantage point. Decide to trust Him.

2.  Life moves very quickly.  (Was it Mark Twain who joked that life is like a roll of toilet tissue?  The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes!  I know.  I'm shocked too that I took that rabbit trail. But humor is good medicine. LOL)  We're all given brilliant moments of hope and joy.  They tend to splash onto the scene then dissipate rather quickly.  

     We must value, appreciate and commit them to memory.  Those memories provide the encouraging warmth we need on days when life is harsh, cold or uncertain. Hope is available.  Decide to watch for it.

3.  God has never been late in answering my prayers but seldom, if ever, has He been early!  It's a lesson of consistency I've gleaned over these 21,900 days of living.  I love the truth I see repeated in scripture, God Listens.  He hears the cries of His people.  

     Here's my question for you....are you talking to HIM about your situation?  Is He the confidant you're running to or are you relying most heavily on the wisdom of friends?  Dear Reader, even the closest friend lacks the vantage point God has - He sees the beginning and the end.  Only He can whisper the most accurate advice.  He alone has a plan that will weave even the difficulties into a fabulous Life Tapestry, if you allow it.  Decide to take your struggles to God.

Most of my friends find my fascination with sunrises and sunsets to be a bit odd.  That's okay.  When one of my grand babies catches sight of a sunset and calls out, "Look, Noni!  God has painted the sky to tell us good-night and He loves us!"  I don't mind being odd.  

So I've come alongside today to offer a hug and to challenge you, take courage.  Decide to trust God's faithfulness.  Decide to watch for the whispers of hope sent your way.  Decide to talk with Him about your struggle.

Because life really is all in the deciding!



How about you? Do you enjoy lovely sunrises/sunsets in your part of the world?  What is your favorite reminder in nature of God's faithfulness?