The Snowball

There was a snowball growing inside my mind. Icy cold - a small negative thought that started to build and grow. It began as the distinct feeling that no one understood or even cared who I am, how I think and what I struggle with. Those who may express concern do so only when they think of it. Or, if I do or say something to bring my distress to their attention, they may briefly try to help.

The weight of more negative thoughts crushed and threatened to consume me. I was bowed down with the hopelessness of the seemingly sterile and futile life that loomed ahead of me. All of these emotions seemed so true to me. But all of these thoughts were based on my feelings and not actual truth.

As I dissolved into tears, I once again prayed for help. The scripture that rescued me this time is in the Second letter written to the Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 5 which says, in part, “. . . to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”So I brought the huge snowball of emotions and pain to Christ in prayer. As I did so, the warmth of God’s love reduced the intensity of the struggle and the agony of painful emptiness, much like sun melts away a snowball. In my mind’s eye, what remained was only a puddle of water with two ugly, small things in it: Fear and lack of trust in God’s care for me. There was no condemnation from Jesus for the feelings of fear and my failure to keep trusting in Him. There was, and is, only wonderful peace and love. Feelings are not sins, they are human, but they can become a trap.

Exposed to the light of Christ’s love; the warmth of His acceptance and the wonder of His great understanding, I was able once more to choose the blessed joy the Holy Spirit holds out to those who mourn, for those who grieve are promised a blessing, “For they shall be comforted.” (Remember? “Blessed are they who mourn . . .”.) You can come closer to the heart of God than you were before the tragedy came along.  That is, of course, if you seek the Lord for His help and comfort.

So, do not let that painful thought morph into a snowball of negativity of gigantic proportions, when God is waiting to enfold you in His everlasting arms with promised relief and bountiful love!    Doma

Bring On The Light

Darkness is nothing in itself. It is only the absence of light. The inky blackness of a cave or the occasional outage of electricity during a storm can remind us of how helpless we become when there is no light. It does not take much light to dispel darkness. Even the smallest spark illuminates an area for a brief time.

In darkness, many things with which we are familiar are hidden from our eyes. When we are walking in the dark, we are in danger of stumbling, becoming disoriented, or of falling even when we think we know the way.It is best to have some source of light with us. A small flashlight or penlight are vital when darkness closes in.

This world is often a very dark place. Violence and anger surround us on TV, video games, music, and in real life. Our own thought life may become dark and filled with uncertainty. We need to have a light source so we can perceive things as they truly are. We need light and truth to see clearly where we are going.

A flashlight illuminates only the area of darkness its beam penetrates. The one who holds a flashlight on a dark night is not easily discerned by the person on whom the light shines. For many of us, God is like Someone who holds a flashlight for us in the dark. We cannot discern who He is, we are just grateful for the little light for our path. But, Jesus Christ tells us He is the Light of the world. This old world could really use some light right now. "Out of the darkness there came a great light." To find your way you must seek out the one who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is not hidden from those who earnestly seek Him.