Tonight we went with Nate’s Sunday School class and a few other women from church downtown to the Gospel Union Mission to serve dinner to the homeless from Duluth. It was a good experience for all of us and for the kids especially. Most of the people there were very friendly and thankful.
There were two women, though who really stood out to me this evening. One sat down with her tray full of taco casserole, dug around through it with a fork and with disgust said to her friend, “This is s***.” Then she proceeded to pour four packets of salt on top while she grumbled the whole time.
As we were leaving another woman was bringing her cleaned tray to the counter and stopped us to say, “Ya’ll were just such a blessing to me tonight. This meal was a blessing from God. Thank you all so much!”
Her friendly smile, kind words and sparkling brown eyes just made my night. I wanted to give her a big hug.
These two women got me to thinking. They both had the same meal, sat in the same room, and face pretty much the same circumstances in life; they’re homeless. Yet one chose to grumble and complain and the other chose to accept life as a gift and offer blessings. I commented on the way home that it truly doesn’t matter whether you are homeless or a millionaire. Circumstances do not make the person. Your attitude is something you choose!
How often do we say things like, “Well, if I just had a better car, or a job, or more money? Of if my kids were older or younger, or my husband was gone or if I had a husband, I wouldn’t be this way?” The grass is always greener isn’t it? But, all of our circumstances, no matter how dire, are just excuses. We have a choice, a choice to live life with thankful hearts raised to God, or with our eyes focused inward on ourselves, selfishly grumbling and complaining and making our lives and the lives of everyone around us miserable.
The Apostle Paul said in the book of Philippians, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:11-13
In other words, if we try to live this life in our own strength, with our eyes focused on ourselves, we will be overcome by our circumstances. But, when we focus on Christ and live life in HIS strength, every circumstance, whether joyful or difficult, becomes an opportunity to live for His glory and give Him praise. We can then live our lives thanking Him for life and the good things in it, and in turn be a blessing to others.
“Bloom where you’re planted,” as the old saying goes. Shift your perspective from yourself to Christ and see how abundant and free a life lived for His glory is, in spite of circumstances.
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