Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Psalm 23:1-4 ESV
It’s been a long year.
And I suspect for many of us, all that has been going on this year has tended to paint our mood for most of our days.
I think most of us remember Lucy and Charlie Brown—of Peanuts fame. Everything always seemed to go wrong for Charlie, and his mood and view of life expected that it would.
During one such moment where, again, something didn’t turn out good for him, Lucy said to Charlie:
“Charlie Brown, well—you win some, and you lose some.”
To which Charlie Brown responded—“That would be nice!”
He just threw his hands in the air, regularly gave up—and just accepted whatever happened as what would be. Then, and to come.
It may be that some of you have had your mood painted by that same kind of attitude. Whatever happens, happens.
Or maybe you’re covered with a mood of despair, disappointment or discouragement. The memory of some things in the past linger. A difficult childhood, business disappointments, maybe looking for a purpose, and the next steps in your life.
Or maybe the mood of our days has been painted for us by all that has been going on this year in our nation and world, and we’re simply trying to keep our heads above water. All the while not knowing what other seemingly insurmountable mountain might be waiting for us just around the bend.
And yet it’s Thanksgiving week. And as we enter this most distinctive of American holiday seasons, I can’t help but believe that no matter where we find ourselves, honest reflection will serve to remind us of many moments in our lives for which we should be thankful—past and present—and which give us a reason for hope.
Why not let the reminders of those moments paint the mood of our days?
Many years ago, God sent a much-needed reminder to me in the form of a note from our elder Granddaughter, Hannah, then seven. At the time, I was struggling and I think she sensed it—with God’s help.
Maybe you’ve received one of these yourself.
The envelope was decorated with shamrocks, containing a note inside adorned with four hearts—blue, orange, purple and green—and contained the following words—
“Can we eat thanksgivening food tegeter? I hope we can. I can’t wait to see you next time I do.” (Spelling uncorrected)
I found her note again the other day, not coincidentally, but because the Lord, my Shepherd, knew I needed another reminder. And so He resent the note from one of His precious little lambs—in a file I “accidentally” opened, so it could once again catch, not only my eye, but my heart.
To this day, God continues to use both of our granddaughters, Hannah and Ellie, as messengers with His reminders for us—to paint the mood of our days He wants us to embrace with Him.
It’s been a long year.
What’s painting the mood of your days?
May I suggest that we let our days be painted with a mood of thanksgiving, with an attitude of gratitude, for the ever-present, faithful and overwhelming blessings from the God who loves us, shepherds, leads and restores us, and is always with us.
Thanks for the reminder, Hannah.
Happy “Thanksgivening” to us all! (Original spelling to make you smile!)
In His Name–Scott
Dear Scott, I’m afraid I have the “Charlie Brown” syndrome. I am the last one with the Dzurus family name. My father was the youngest of 9 brothers & 3 sisters. Only 1 of his brothers had a son and he died young. The rest all had girls. My mother was orphaned at the age of 6 along with an older brother & sister. They are all gone now including my older brother & his son. I am married but have no children, and wish I had found a note from my granddaughter. My parents & brother were great as was my childhood, but I wish I would have given them more credit for any successes I might have had and told them how much I loved them. As in sports, Whether playing or coaching, I find myself remembering the close championships I lost and replay those games thinking if only I had done this or that differently or had handled this player or student differently. Although I have many wonderful memories I tend to hold on to past mistakes I made, sins I have committed in my life, and the guilty feelings that accompany them. I know, through Christ, God has forgiven me, but I have trouble forgiving myself. I regret not having lived up to thepotential God and my family have given me, and I read or recite Mathew 28, 29, &30 in hope. I seem to lack in faith. The current depressing situations in our country and the rest of the world aren’t helping either. Keep up the good work you are doing, Scott, and God’s blessings. Sincerely, Jim