The weather affects my moods. I
don’t want it to, but it does, at least partially. Lately, each day has had thick grey clouds
and the temperature has been a little cooler (which I like). It hasn’t rained much, maybe some light
drizzle here and there, but the days have a deep winter feel to them. For some reason I want to sleep a lot. Maybe I’m part bear and I need to
hibernate. I just know that I am less
awake and less excited to get going on days like this.
Similarly, I think there are many days when we are spiritually in dark
winter days. We don’t wake up and see
the glory of a new sunrise and walk in the warm sunshine under blue skies. Everything seems subdued, darker, colder, and
the colors in our world are dull. We
find that we just aren’t as excited about a lot spiritually. It doesn’t mean we aren’t saved, but it does
mean we are not very excited about it.
Usually it is at these times that a problem or challenge will occur that
really needs you to be spiritually awake and responsive.
Why is it difficult at times to stay excited spiritually? I would say it is because when you do get
excited and start living under conviction and confronting sin, almost everyone
you know will reject you in some way.
This is depressing and it casts a dull shadow over your excitement. Then you lose some of those people. They intentionally walk away. They may make many excuses but ultimately it’s
because you started exercising your faith and they don’t want theirs to be
awoken. This casts an additional
dullness to your excitement. Then,
undoubtedly, the things you are praying so adamantly for aren’t happening. Someone is still rejecting God; a young
person is still running away from responsibility; a disease is still consuming
someone; people are still attacking you and your belief; others are trying to
cause division; and others are lying to others about you. It is hard to stay encouraged and see the
bright Son shining over all of Creation.
BUT, when I think of what I have been delivered from; when I think of how
God has met me where I was; when I get to be at home with my family and we have
great family nights; when I am able to do some actionable work that serves and contributes
to others; and when I see where God has used me, filthy dirty sinful me, to do
anything for Him, I find that I see a sunny day. A single person who’s life is made better
because of God finding a way to use me makes that day a great day. It is in giving my dull, cloudy, dull day to
Him and Him using something, anything to help others, that makes the day sunny
and beautiful (spiritually speaking).
Mother Teresa’s Anyway poem
says it best:
People are often unreasonable, illogical
and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of
selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some
false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may
cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone
could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they
may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often
forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it
may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is
between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
Let God shine through you and in so doing, He will make Himself to shine
in you.
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