Friday, April 15, 2011

Friday, April 8, 2011

Don't Worry, Be Happy




"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Mathew 6:33-34


I'd like to share a story with you that my youth group leader told me. It is from one of his favorite books, "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning.

One day a tiger chased a monk to the edge of a cliff. The monk spotted a rope, grabbed it, and climbed down out of the tiger's reach. Just then he realized that he was hanging high above jagged rocks. He looked up and saw mice chewing on the ropes strands! When he looked in front of him, he saw a beautiful strawberry within his reach. He plucked it and ate it, exclaiming that it was the best strawberry he had ever tasted.

The moral of the story is that if we are preoccupied about the past (tiger), or the future (rocks) we will miss the blessings/strawberries that God has given us.

My sister shared with me one way that she has taught herself to recognize God's strawberries in her life. She writes daily, about the little blessings she has received in her "Thanks" journal. I have since started one as well. It helps me to reflect on the positives and not dwell on the negatives. Do you have a pretty journal sitting empty at your house? Perhaps you could dedicate it to writing down God's daily blessings.

I encourage you to look for the strawberry that God delivers to you each day!Sometimes the best things in life are unplanned, unexpected gifts from God. May we remember to live in the moment, so that we do not miss them!