Close your eyes and imagine a place void of
stress. Take a deep breath in. . .slowly
exhale. Imagine yourself sitting in that
place - no demands, no itinerary, and positive thoughts surrounding you.
Images would vary amongst individuals: beach side watching the waves crash against
one another; in the middle of the forest with the sound of nature all around; inside
with a cup of hot chocolate while snow falls outside the window; sitting by a
bonfire gathered with friends. . .
The list goes on and on; all dependent on the
individual and where they find comfort. Often
the place imagined holds great memories.
Sometimes the place imagined is a desire or on an individual’s “bucket
list”. And yet some imagine a place they
visit quite regularly; possibly their vacation spot.
My challenge to all: Why must we imagine a place void of
stress? Why must we force a deep breath? Why must we search for positive thinking?
The broken world attempts to steal peace, destroying
calm and filling our thoughts with negativity.
Each year and with each generation, the world gets louder, busier and
increases demands.
“How are you doing?” A question typically answered with, “Busy” or
“Tired” or “Okay”. I am guilty of such.
Look at your calendar. Yes, every evening fills with events. With the holidays right around the corner, the
calendar will fill at its greatest capacity.
We could approach these events with an attitude of “have to” or “get to”. I understand that some events may involve family
members that cause animosity amongst all.
I understand that memories attached to holidays make it difficult to enjoy
the events. Ergo, the “have to”
mentality takes over. Survival is the
goal.
What if we tried to take even one gathering
and approach with “get to” attitude? What
if we focused intently on the love, decorations, laughter and conversation of the
event? What if we remained in the moment?
I guarantee peace would enter the event. Deep breath in and slow exhale out. Remove the thought of anything else but the current
moment. Think, “I get to be here, what a
blessing to have this moment.”
Over the years, I have worked diligently to
change my thinking. Negative thoughts
consumed Every. Single. Moment. I would
have overwhelming anxiety before even leaving my home over EVERY EVENT. Each day, anxiety blocked peace. I could not focus due to the negative
thinking. I hated it. Survival mode was my constant. The moment I woke up, I counted down the hours
until I could go back to bed. There, I could
hide from it all. I was not fully
enjoying this life given to me. I was
unable to live out the purpose God intended.
I think the major turnaround occurred just
recently. Yes, I have spent years on recovering
from an Eating Disorder; but the true peace mentioned above began to appear
most recently in my life. The turnaround
occurred when I felt hatred toward the lack of peace, and I threw my hands up in
surrender. I claimed to God that I can’t
do it anymore.
The Holy Spirit whispered, “Finally”. You see, the peace that passes all
understanding only comes from God. Peace
among the broken world, the crazy itineraries and demands only comes through
His strength. We must take each day to
the Cross, offer it up to God and He will bring mighty purpose in every moment
of that day. We can start the process by
offering up thanksgiving to God.
Take a deep breath in and slow exhale out. .
.thank Him for just that – breath. He
breathed life into each of us and for a purpose. The purpose is not to be busy or tired or
just okay. The purpose is to enjoy this
life while shining His Light to those around you. True peace comes with thanksgiving. Focus on the moment. Give this moment to God and watch the amazing
purpose that comes from surrender. He is
peace. Invite Him into your calendar. Live with a “get to” attitude.
Live life. . .One Day at a
time!
Sheree Craig
No comments:
Post a Comment