the canary in the mine shaft

      This morning, I was breathing easily until I read an email about giving a present to somebody related to somebody I resent. All of a sudden, I could tell that the air in my kitchen was poisonous. That email was like the canary in the mine shaft.

“[God] doesn’t treat us as our faults and offences deserve. . . . He separates us from our transgressions as far as the east is separated from the west.” Psalm 103:10, 12

Father, I’ve been collecting this person’s faults and offences for so long that I don’t even like the idea of You doing the opposite. I don’t want to breathe this poisonous air any more.  

deciding beforehand

     Going into a day (or a movie or a marriage or a conversation) with expectations is just another way of saying my-will-be-done. It’s deciding beforehand that I will only enjoy life if what I expect to happen happens. Since it usually doesn’t, I think I’ll experiment with expecting nothing today -- deciding beforehand to enjoy everything.

“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall enjoy everything.” St. Francis of Assisi

“Thy will be done. . . .” Matthew 6:10

“My will be done. . . .” Elizabeth Fitch (sometimes)

many small wonders

     If you expect to be content as soon as (you get well or go on vacation or get out of the messy relationship or whatever), you will probably miss many small wonders today.

“Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.” Helen Keller

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11

look at the wildflowers

     When you’re facing tough times and your palms are sweaty and your stomach is churning, do you still think God is attending to you and doing His best for you? If your honest answer is no, look at the wildflowers.

Lord, I want my honest answer to grow into yes.

“[L]ook at the wildflowers. . . . [H]ave you ever seen color and design quite like it? . . . If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think He will attend to you [and] . . . do His best for you?” Luke 12:27-28

they were singing

     There was once a man who moved from one town to another. When he got to the new town, he asked someone what the people in the town were like. “What were the people like in your old town?” the person asked. “Terrible,” the man said. “Then,” said the other, “you will find the people in this town to be terrible, too.” 

“We create our own discontentedness.” Br. David Vryhoff

 “[Paul and Silas] were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. . . .  Around midnight, they were . . . singing. . . .” Acts 16:23, 25

high-fives and whoops

     Yesterday, I watched a little guy potty-training. He got high-fives and whoops from his brothers and sister (plus two M&Ms) with every small success. Today, I think I’ll look for chances to give some high-fives and whoops myself.   

“People need to hear blessings. Notice the whole and good and healthy things in them and then say what you notice.” Angela Wisdom

“So encourage each other and build each other up. . . .” 1 Thessalonians 5:11