Here we are again. J Time for me to talk. Yep. I do lots of that. Even in person, right? But you love me…. Haha. Ok, so have you ever had one of those days when everything seems to come together? Your hair looks good. You find the perfect outfit. Out with a friend. All senses are on alert. You are laughing and genuinely happy. You just feel like it is one of the best days of your life. Then, bam! You get a flat tire on the way home. Or your girlfriend breaks up with you AFTER you get home. Or you get home and realize you left your cell phone somewhere. Bad ending to a perfect day. Tends to overshadow all the good that came before it. Yep. Been there. Done that. Recently happened to a close friend. Had all the makings of a perfect day and then poof, gone in seconds. But how did you handle yourself afterwards. That is the key. That is the crux of the matter. Did you lose your cool? Did you yell, rant, scream, cry, curse? Or did you take care of business? I understand the inclination to lose it. Trust me. When it happened to me, it was all tears. Lots and lots of tears. The joy, the excitement, the happiness - all replaced by an overwhelming sense of loss. But you know what? Things happen in life. A saying often heard around our house - “it is what it is”. We are going to get flat tires. Most of us will likely have our hearts broken. And I can pretty much guess that all of us have left our cell phones somewhere. Life is about experiences, both good and bad. And how we handle them shows the strength of our character.
God provides us with a lesson book on building character. The Bible provides us with many passages that exemplify good and moral characteristics. But he gave us choices. We can choose the right or wrong response to any situation. And we do. In our sinful natures, we do not always react in a godly manner. But God picks us back up, dusts us off, and patiently asks “ok, how would you handle it next time?” Are we born with a certain amount of character? Is it the way we are raised? Or is it a conscious choice on our part? I really don’t know. What I do know is that there are going to be good days and there are going to be bad days. There are gonna be good days with bad endings. J How you handle yourself in that particular situation is what defines you. What defines your character. So next time, take a step back, think about how God wants you to handle the situation. You never know who is watching your response. Who will notice your character when faced with a yucky moment. That one moment, that one terribly disappointing ending to a perfect day, could make a difference in someone’s life. God uses every situation - good or bad. Let you light shine.
Bible Verse for the week:
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.
Ecclesiastes 7:4
My story:
This is just one out of many… this one is from years ago
I went with Jim and friends to an outdoor concert. We spent all day visiting with each other, listening to music and having an awesome time. At the end of the day, I was tired and ready to go home. A little sunburn on my cheeks. Music playing in my head. A smile lingering on my face. As I was driving down the road, I saw - saw a tire bouncing down the road in front of me. Thought, hmm, that is weird. Wonder where it came from. Immediately felt my car go thump as the rim hit the ground at about 40 mph. Ok, get the picture. I have three tires and one sparking, dragging rim. Yep. Not a good ending to a near perfect day. Oh, how did I handle it? Well, we will not go into that. We learn from our mistakes, right? God is forgiving.
Bible Fun for the week:
Favorite Bible Verses
1. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will _____ us our sins. 1 John 1:9
2. Give me neither property nor riches, but give me only my _______ _________. Proverbs 30:8-9
3. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of _______________. Matthew 5:10-12
4. He will not let you be ________beyond what you can bear. 1 Corinthians 10:13
5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own ____________. Proverbs 3:5-6
6. Do not get drunk on wine…instead, be filled with the ____________. Ephesians 5:18
7. Now faith is being sure of what we ________ for. Hebrews 11:1
8. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is ___________. Philippians 1:21
9. God is ___________, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth. John 4:23-24
10. Always be prepared to give an ____________ to everyone who asks. 1 Peter 3:15
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