Exploring faith and life
Work is an important part of life. We so enjoy our leisure time when we’ve worked hard. It helps us feel productive and gives us purpose. It’s so wonderful seeing the next generation at work ….. and enjoying it! What a team! I just hope Maverick still enjoys washing dishes when he’s older!
As I was walking yesterday ….. the path was littered with a mixture of autumn leaves and camellia flowers. I found myself thinking about people who have influenced my life. The leaves reminded me of the the more distant past. People who have passed on ….. but have helped shape me into who I am today. The flowers reminded me of the many wonderful people in my life right now. I began my walk asking God to show me the next step ….. I finished thanking Him for the past and present. I felt Him say ‘ Just enjoy where you are right now!’
Depression and anxiety have reached epidemic proportions ….. but you may be surprised to know that the Bible has a lot to say about them. Often ….. those who experience the highest highs also experience the lowest lows. The prophet Elijah was such a man. After an amazing victory on Mt Carmel in which God used him to prove He is the one true God ….. the next chapter sees him running away and fearing for his life. Here’s God’s recipe for dealing with depression. 1. Rest 2. Food and drink 3. God got him to acknowledge where he was and what he was feeling. 4. God addressed his fears and assured him he was not alone. 5. God gave him a new assignment and gave him a companion to work alongside him. He will do the same for you if you allow Him to.
Do you feel like you are alone and that no one else understands what you are going through? Does it feel as though you are dangling in mid air? Do you feel vulnerable? I want you to know that you are being carried by a very strong support system. From where you are ….. you can’t see the whole picture. But if you could ….. you would know that there are others ahead of you who have completed the journey and cheering you on. And also ….. there are still others following behind you who will need your encouragement. No one can do life for us ….. but we can support one another! Hang in there!
It’s funny how ….. when something happens outside of our realm of understanding ….. we try to explain it away. Many read the Bible with a ‘pair of scissors’! They keep the bits they like ….. but cut out the passages that don’t fit with their theology. These include miracles ….. and things that challenge their comfort. If they were to believe these things ….. they would have to change the way they live. The Resurrection of Christ is one of the events that has had lawyers and judges setting out to disprove its authenticity ….. only to come to the verdict that the evidence proves it happened! Jesus appeared to more than 500 people after his death and burial! Why did it cause so much controversy? Because ….. in rising from the grave ….. Jesus overcame sin and death for us all. He proved He is God ….. and made it possible for us the be saved! 
