CHAPLAINS CORNER
I Am Blessed
When I am asked how I am doing, I often answer that ‘I am blessed.’ Because that is considered an unusual response, people often respond to my reply with surprise. From the bottom of my heart, I am truly blessed. Does that mean that life is perfect and there are no problems? Absolutely not.
What about you? How are you doing? If the only fever you have is cabin fever, you are blessed. Yes, we have prayer requests and great concerns. Things at this time are not in our control, and that is not easy. We are also gifted, driven, and have a focused goal. Do not let the current situation cause you to forget your personal goals.
So are you blessed? Think about it for a moment. We carry items like watches, phones, jewelry, and cash that exceed the wealth that most people in the world will ever see in a lifetime. So as you look around at your possessions, thank the Creator for each one. Then look again at all you have, and remember that what we take for granted, someone else is praying for.
Clouds Happen
I love storms. Not the destructive storms, but the ones that bring darkness to the daylight, and a clean smell to the air. At times I need to remind myself that clouds do not alter the sun, they only block the light. Above the dark and stormy cloud is a sunny sky. Just because I am unable to see the sun, does not stop its warming glow.
When adversity enters our life, it is often like a storm cloud. We feel that hope and joy have been darkened or totally removed from our lives. Death of a loved one, financial difficulty, health issues, marriage conflicts, are just a few of the storms we face. The reality is that hope and joy are still there, they are just blocked by our troubled season. Like the storm, troubles and difficult times will pass. We also have a tendency to endure the storm alone. We were created for community and not isolation. So when those times arrive, reach out to others. Also remember that weeping might last for the night, but joy returns in the morning.
The Egg and the Tater
If you place an egg and a potato into a pot of boiling water the two react in opposite ways. The egg will get hard, while the potato will soften. Both the potato and the egg are still useful, but they have been changed forever into something very different. The change that is made when placed in the heat is easy to see. Let me offer the observation that people are the same way.
As we go through difficulties and life events, some people will harden like the egg does. They will, get angry, and form a hard shell around their life. They blame other people, and even lash out at those that are attempting to help. Other people when faced with similar difficulties will soften, and become tender hearted, broken and humbled. It is all in how we choose to react to the challenges in our lives. I am not saying that these challenges are easy, or am I ignoring the pain that results from the time of difficulty. I am saying the response is up to us. Our response is our responsibility.
Oven Time Required
A cup of hot coffee, a chocolate cake and a forged knife have something in common. They all require heat to be produced. Even when you have the coffee grounds, filter and coffee pot, without the heat, you still do not have a cup of coffee. The same is true with a cake, you can have all of the correct ingredients to bake a beautiful cake, but without an oven to turn the ingredients from dough into cake, it will never pass the toothpick test. Without heat, a knife will have zero strength.
As you get ready each day, prepare for the heat, even in these winter months. Troubles, difficulties and heated trials come into everyone’s life. It is in dealing with the heat that builds our strengths. They actually forge us into becoming a better person. The hardest part of this is that everyone has times in the fire. When you go through the fire, you want grace, and mercy from those around you. To offer that same grace and mercy is not always on our list of things to be done. We are all sojourners, not competitors in this life. Offer others the same compassion you desire for yourself. There is a chance they are in the fire you just completed. Be a blessing!
Detector Issues
Everything in the kitchen was going great and breakfast was nearly done. The toast was browning, the bacon was sizzling, and the kitchen smelled like victory… until the smoke detector decided to join the party. It started shrieking like it had just witnessed a crime. I did what any calm, reasonable person would do, I grabbed a chair, yanked the battery, and declared peace restored. Later, while chatting with the fire chief (as one does), I learned something important: I hadn’t solved the problem. I’d only silenced the warning.
Life has its own set of detectors, doesn’t it? Sometimes they beep in the form of high blood pressure, flashing blue lights, or an overdraft notice. Other times, it’s that quiet tug in your spirit saying, “You’re headed the wrong way.” The trick isn’t to yank the batteries out of the warning, it is to pay attention to what it’s trying to tell you. The wise thing is to: Stop, listen, and deal with the smoke before it becomes a fire. What warnings might I be silencing instead of heeding?
Future Focus
In our lives both at home and at work, our ability to innovate and grow hinges on our vision focus. It’s easy to get comfortable with what’s familiar, to rely on past successes, and to prioritize “how we’ve always done things.” However, if the memories of our past begin to outweigh our ambitions for what’s next, we encounter a significant hurdle. When we spend more time looking in the rearview mirror than through the windshield, we risk missing new opportunities, and blocking the very creativity that drives progress.
To get past this, we must consciously shift our focus from reflection to foresight. This involves actively seeking new ideas, embracing calculated risks, and forgiving ourselves and others for past failures. We need to develop or join an environment where future possibilities are discussed and championed. Try viewing your past experiences as valuable lessons, not as rigid boundaries. When we continually refine our vision for the future, we permit ourselves to anticipate challenges, look for solutions, and ultimately achieve the goal we desired in the first place.