Grateful in Tough Times
Last week was a tough week for me and my wife. We found out that a significant portion of our income was going to be cut due to the effects of the economy. It was a situation that I know millions of Americans are finding themselves in each and every day during this economic crisis.
My reaction was predictable. Worry, fear and anxiety pretty much took hold of me for a few days. I started looking all over the place for alternatives to fill in that gap in our income. Of course, those opportunities are getting fewer and fewer as more and more people find themselves in these situations, which of course led me to worry even more.
I knew that my anxiety was groundless, because God had provided for our little family (I’m including our hamster) in a similar situation before. I knew what Jesus says in Matthew 6:25-34, to seek first His Kingdom, and not to worry about tomorrow. But it’s a hard thing to do.
Instead, God did what He often seems to do and flipped me and my wife’s perspective on the whole thing 180 degrees. He didn’t provide a solution immediately and He didn’t magically take away all of our fears. What He did do was shift our focus from what we were losing to the amazing things that we have.
First, we kept reading news about how many other people were losing their jobs and all of their investments. We had only lost a small part compared to these people. Then we saw Slumdog Millionaire over the weekend. The powerful depiction of poverty in India through that film is impossible to get over, and I would challenge anyone to walk away from that movie not being thankful for this country and all the things the Lord provides.
God also showed us other people we knew who were struggling with terrible health issues, from a friend undergoing eye surgery to save her sight to a family member who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Compared to these, our problem seemed so small that we almost felt selfish for focusing on it so much.
It’s funny how the worst times seem to point out the best things in your life. We take so much for granted when everything is going well, as it often does in a place like America. But God is so good, and when things are tough, that’s when He is there in a more powerful way than ever. Even though we may be looking at a tough economic period coming up, my wife and I are truly blessed. We have an amazing love for each other that God has blessed. We have enough to eat and food and shelter. We have the all-encompassing love of God that will never fail. We also have a really cute hamster.
Thank you, Lord, for helping us to have the right perspective when life gets tough.
My reaction was predictable. Worry, fear and anxiety pretty much took hold of me for a few days. I started looking all over the place for alternatives to fill in that gap in our income. Of course, those opportunities are getting fewer and fewer as more and more people find themselves in these situations, which of course led me to worry even more.
I knew that my anxiety was groundless, because God had provided for our little family (I’m including our hamster) in a similar situation before. I knew what Jesus says in Matthew 6:25-34, to seek first His Kingdom, and not to worry about tomorrow. But it’s a hard thing to do.
Instead, God did what He often seems to do and flipped me and my wife’s perspective on the whole thing 180 degrees. He didn’t provide a solution immediately and He didn’t magically take away all of our fears. What He did do was shift our focus from what we were losing to the amazing things that we have.
First, we kept reading news about how many other people were losing their jobs and all of their investments. We had only lost a small part compared to these people. Then we saw Slumdog Millionaire over the weekend. The powerful depiction of poverty in India through that film is impossible to get over, and I would challenge anyone to walk away from that movie not being thankful for this country and all the things the Lord provides.
God also showed us other people we knew who were struggling with terrible health issues, from a friend undergoing eye surgery to save her sight to a family member who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Compared to these, our problem seemed so small that we almost felt selfish for focusing on it so much.
It’s funny how the worst times seem to point out the best things in your life. We take so much for granted when everything is going well, as it often does in a place like America. But God is so good, and when things are tough, that’s when He is there in a more powerful way than ever. Even though we may be looking at a tough economic period coming up, my wife and I are truly blessed. We have an amazing love for each other that God has blessed. We have enough to eat and food and shelter. We have the all-encompassing love of God that will never fail. We also have a really cute hamster.
Thank you, Lord, for helping us to have the right perspective when life gets tough.
posted by Editor at 4:25 PM
3 Comments:
God is faithful to provide, that is for sure. I don't mean to be a prude or to be judgemental. But I am constantly amazed to hear about Christians going to see movies like Slumdog Millionaire. I'm sure it has positive elements. My wife and I look at the movie list almost every week and check in with Plugged In as well. And there are almost never any decent movies that are worth Christians going to see. So, I would be interested in what possessed you and your wife to see this particular movie.
I'm constantly amazed at Christians that allow others to tell them what movies to watch, etc. Ask God for discernment and wisdom; stop depending on other (wo)men to tell you what is good for you.
I went to India last year and saw the poverty first hand, but I also discovered there is a strong local minority of Christians. Many Indians cities have atleast one Catholic church. Remember that Mother Theresa chose the poorest of the poor in India's worst slums to minister to. Her order, the Sisters of Charity, continues her work today.
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