It's usually
very difficult for us to bring balance into our
lives. We may find it hard not to put in overtime at
work. We may be obsessed about housework or yard
work to the extent that we work long hours at it.
Whatever we
do, whatever we have, whatever we want, it's usually
not enough for us.
Any activity or commitment needs a certain amount of
time, concentration, and energy. But some of us may
be too absorbed in physical fitness to notice we are
always tense, always on the go.
Some of
us may be so obsessed with money that we take on
additional work, not noticing we are often hard to
get along with.
Some of
us may be so fascinated by a hobby that we ignore
people in our lives who need our time and attention,
too.
Tonight we need to recognize the obsessive areas of
our lives and begin to make changes. It may mean
assigning time limits to different activities.
Or it may mean
altering our schedules, even letting go of an
activity. Tonight is the time to begin to bring
balance into our lives, gently and gradually.
Be
strong and of good courage; be not frightened,
neither be dismayed.
--
Joshua 1:9
It has been said when we
are at the end of our rope, we can do one of three
things: let go, tie a knot and hang on, or splice
the rope and begin again.
Whenever we feel there's
nowhere to go but down and nobody to turn to, that's
when we can start all over again.
If we can learn to look
beyond the end of something, we'll always see an
exciting, fresh beginning.
At the end of every storm is calm. At the end of
every argument is silence.
At the end of one
relationship there is another. Although life is
composed of many endings, there are just as many new
beginnings.
"Life goes on" is
even assured by the passage of time -- at the end of
each minute there's another.
Nights may have many endings, but they will also
have just as many beginnings.
Just as the sun will
set, so the moon will rise and the stars will
appear.
Just as the day's
activities will end, so the evening's activities
will begin. And when those activities are over,
there will be new experiences the next day.
We
should be careful to get out of an experience
only the wisdom that is
in it -- and stay there, lest we be like the cat
that sits down on a hot
stove-lid. She will never sit down on a hot
stove-lid again ... but also,
she will never sit down on a cold one any more.
-- Mark
Twain
"Last night I
asked for help, but the person couldn't give it to
me. Tonight I'm not going to ask because I'll be
refused."
Poor us!
One person has rejected us, so now we've got the
whole world rejecting us.
We
believe if one person lets us down, everyone else
will too.
Such thinking, as negative as it is, can provide
safety. If we believe we can't trust anymore, then
we won't.
But there
won't be any growth in this kind of safety. By
condemning everyone, we won't see those who want to
help.
To find help we may have to ask several people.
If we
get turned away by a few people, we shouldn't give
up hope.
There are many
flowers in the field of life, but to pick the best,
we need to look at them all.
