Mementos

As I sit in my office this morning I was seeking divine inspiration on something profound to write about.  I'm surrounded by mementos of my past.  A plaque from the day I was initiated as a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy, a world map with pins of places I've visited, awards, posters, a rack of trophy golf balls, pictures and a box of stuff I just brought home from my most recent job that I need to go through.

What struck me about it is this; Does this stuff keep me in the past sometimes remembering how great I used to think I was, or is it a just a visual that helps me to remember where I am no longer?  I think far too often that we can be guilty of remembering how things were in our history and perhaps we can get stuck in that mindset.  I see the stuff I'm surrounded by and have fond memories and some great stories to tell.  I don't want to dwell too long or relive them too often, the events of my past led me here there and quite frankly, I'm happier where I am today than back then and want to keep looking forward to the greater things in life to come.

Thorns

My wife and I have been reading a devotional about the thorns in life and how we pray to have them removed.  Throughout the devotional we are reminded of Paul's continued prayerful pleas to God to have thorns removed from his life.  Each time Paul is met with "My grace is all you need.  My power works best in weakness."  

We are meant to have weaknesses that bring us to the feet of Jesus.  It is there that we draw closer and the thorns don't seem to matter.

If you're struggling with something in life that seems to be plaguing you, perhaps it's time to acknowledge your weakness and sit at the feet of the Master.

What time is it?

Sometimes the door closing on what we think is an opportunity is often closed because it isn't the right thing for us at the time. If you believe that your future can be shaped by allowing the right thing to come to you at the right time, then getting shut out of, or removed from a situation may sting at the moment, but it's a not a setback.  It's a setup for a comeback.   

The next time you feel that way, just smile because something better is coming.