Do you remember what it was like when you were little, the anticipation of fun? When I was quite young, I would look at the adults in my life and couldn't wait to have the freedom and excitement they had. I'd think lofty thoughts such as: 'Oh, to be a grownup with no one telling me what to do or where to go or when to come home at night'. When I was in school, I used to dream of the day when there would be no more tests, scholastically speaking. Boy, was I wrong. I remember thinking how uninformed adults were in saying they had difficult things. They made life look so good. And easy. And then they would say things like, "If you think you have it bad now, just wait till you're an adult. Then you'll know what real trouble is."
When you are a child you live for fun, fun, and more fun. At least, that is what I endeavored to do. If something wasn't fun, what was the point in doing it? No wonder I dreaded test day at school. Searching for fun can be quite discouraging though, and quite often it makes a kid even more discontent. My kids do this weird thing: We will be in the middle of a what I would call a fun time, and they ask, when is the fun going to start? Sometimes, they wear themselves out looking for it, so that it becomes even more elusive.
It is a bit alarming when out of the blue, after you are an adult, the same question forms in your mind. I did this very recently. I was driving along delivering the mail and it hit me: When does life get easy and fun as it seemed when I was a little kid looking at the adults? Is this all there is? It what world, did this look like fun? There are tests. All the time.There is work. All the time. There is conflict. All the time.
I don't want that dreaded, hang over your head feeling, every day just because there are tests and work and conflict. I want to do it with joy. I don't mean the kind of joy that looks like a pinched smile barely able to squeeze out the corners of the mouth. Or tired eyes peering blearily at life and people. I don't want to preach myself pious little sermons about all the things I have to be thankful and happy about or how good I really do have it. I want to know those things so deep down in my heart that it's not needed to go back to that list of what to do when life gets you down.
I want the kids in my life to see me do life so that it looks good to them too. I think its attainable when I look at it this way: Instead of living for fun, fun, and more fun, I live in Gods strength, strength, and more of God's strength. Do you know how many Bible verses can be found on God's strength? One of my favorites, is the one about going from strength to strength. It leaves the impression that the first boost of energy from God, carries you through to the next one.
Psalm 85:5-7
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. (Hhmm... maybe that could be tests and work and conflicts...) As they pass through the Valley of Baca, (literally means sorrow or tears) they make it a place of springs: (Could this be drinking of the water of life?) the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength till each appears before God in Zion.
When you are a child you live for fun, fun, and more fun. At least, that is what I endeavored to do. If something wasn't fun, what was the point in doing it? No wonder I dreaded test day at school. Searching for fun can be quite discouraging though, and quite often it makes a kid even more discontent. My kids do this weird thing: We will be in the middle of a what I would call a fun time, and they ask, when is the fun going to start? Sometimes, they wear themselves out looking for it, so that it becomes even more elusive.
It is a bit alarming when out of the blue, after you are an adult, the same question forms in your mind. I did this very recently. I was driving along delivering the mail and it hit me: When does life get easy and fun as it seemed when I was a little kid looking at the adults? Is this all there is? It what world, did this look like fun? There are tests. All the time.There is work. All the time. There is conflict. All the time.
I don't want that dreaded, hang over your head feeling, every day just because there are tests and work and conflict. I want to do it with joy. I don't mean the kind of joy that looks like a pinched smile barely able to squeeze out the corners of the mouth. Or tired eyes peering blearily at life and people. I don't want to preach myself pious little sermons about all the things I have to be thankful and happy about or how good I really do have it. I want to know those things so deep down in my heart that it's not needed to go back to that list of what to do when life gets you down.
I want the kids in my life to see me do life so that it looks good to them too. I think its attainable when I look at it this way: Instead of living for fun, fun, and more fun, I live in Gods strength, strength, and more of God's strength. Do you know how many Bible verses can be found on God's strength? One of my favorites, is the one about going from strength to strength. It leaves the impression that the first boost of energy from God, carries you through to the next one.
Psalm 85:5-7
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. (Hhmm... maybe that could be tests and work and conflicts...) As they pass through the Valley of Baca, (literally means sorrow or tears) they make it a place of springs: (Could this be drinking of the water of life?) the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength till each appears before God in Zion.
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