God gave us emotions. Sadness is an emotion that God has, too.
I know people who are over-the-top positive or optimistic to the point of being unrealistic. Call it faith, positive thinking, or luck – but this kind of thinking is just as bad as people who live in sadness, discouragement, and self-pity.
With God’s help, our emotions can be controlled.
God knows sadness is a part of our life. Otherwise he wouldn’t tell us not to replay the video of difficult situations in our minds over and over and over again. He tells us to find something good to let our mind dwell upon.
… whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.
This isn’t magic.
It isn’t avoiding reality.
It’s accepting that God knows how he made us and what works.
Sadness keeps “messing up” and this frustrates Joy to no end.
Soon, Joy realizes she has not allowed the main character, Riley, to feel Sadness.
Sometimes, I think we (or we are expected to) avoid sadness and go right to being positive and optimistic. At first, it’s kind of a survival mechanism that keeps us from drowning in our grief. But then the dust settles and we have to face the sadness and allow it a place in our life.
When you work through the sadness, joy will follow.
Don’t live in sadness, but don’t avoid it either.
Photo credit: Wendy Longo photography / Foter / CC BY-ND
I’ve always carried the banner of faith in every situation. It fit me well. Most days, I am naturally optimistic and positive. The faith message found in the Bible resonated with me.
There is a place for faith. God says we need it. But I have found applying it to situations that positions a person to believe to the point of denying reality is wrong. We get this thinking from the faith scriptures. We ” call those things which be not as though they were”. The scripture says God does, but we have Christ in us so we do, too.
The Bible talks about trust, too. There are plenty of scriptures that say the inevitable: people get sick. Accidents happen. Things go wrong. People die.
Faith is also acceptance and learning to live with pain.
This is not a fatalist mindset. It is facing a situation with courage. Otherwise, there are endless questions that torment you. And usually, the promoters of the faith message are nowhere to be found. Because someone has to answer why your diligence to prayer did not work.
I’ve learned the hard way. But you don’t have to. Recognize what you know to be true. Because when you face tragedies, no matter how horrific, God says he will never leave you or forsake you. God’s presence is real when you’re walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Like Job said, “I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.”
No one can take that away from you.
Don’t inject more hurt into your heart. They don’t understand. Forgive them. And let God lead you to the green pastures and quiet waters where he will heal your broken heart. It will naturally unfold in the days to come.
Photo credit: -mtnoxx- / Foter / CC BY
And if you are committed to the Lord, you know his grace is enough. You also know that it may be how God wants you to let your light shine to others.
I carefully removed the oak tree sapling growing near the foundation of a house.
I planted it, watered it, and protected it for 2 years.
Recently, while I was mowing the grass, I got too close. The wire cage I surrounded it with got caught.
kathymoulton
It ripped the top off.
The life of the fresh, green leaves just beginning to unfold was cut short.
As I circled around with the mower, I felt the familiar disappointment well up inside me. It was very short-lived since I’ve learned, “No, not everything goes wrong.”
I thought about pulling it up and tossing it. Stuff happens. Move on.
At the same time, I thought, wait. Don’t give up just yet.
A couple of days later I noticed small sprouts of leaves at the bottom. But in a short time, they shriveled up.
Disappointed. But wait.
I had forgotten about my little oak tree until the next mowing a week later.
And this is what I found.
kathymoulton
I was prepared to toss if I had to. This is acceptance when things go wrong.
See the broken trunk? This tree will have a scar. But it will continue to grow strong.
It’s been the little things in life that has helped make me strong. That’s because of my Christian faith, believing and knowing God is real, and the small ways he whispers his presence into all of our lives.
God is like that.
When he whispers, we pay closer attention.
It’s like last week when my local paper had a photo of a scarlet tanager and I thought, “I’d love to see one of those!” And a day later, I did.
Photo credit: Mike’s Birds / Foter / CC BY-SA
And then the 6 quarts+ of strawberries I’ve picked out of my little 5×5 patch.
kathymoulton
And the cardinals I have been coaxing to the feeders for so long.
kathymoulton
Or my peony that would only give 2 or 3 blooms each year, and this spring, it was covered with over 70 blooms.
kathymoultonkathymoulton
All around you are whispers from God. He wants you to know he is with you.
Our faith can get complicated. That’s because we complicate things. And often it is because we are not willing to face the truth, accept it, and be honest with ourselves.
But this woman, Elisabeth Elliot, always made it simple to understand.
Without apology, she spoke the truth found in the scriptures. The truth really does have the power to set us free when we accept it.
One timeless phrase Elisabeth used in this stressful, busy world is, “do the next thing”. Our minds race some days, don’t they? Yet those 4 words had the power to settle me.
After my oldest son died, her books gave me comfort. That’s because she never ran from this truth: there is suffering in our lives. Face it. And then know that God will help us through.
when it hurts 