This morning I streamed Lutheran Church of Hope online, I have been feeling under the weather. Pastor Mike gave a great sermon on finding joy. It was week four of four, I regret I missed the first three because I could really use the help finding joy in these past couple of months. Lately I have heard things that aren't pleasant and left me hurt, and out of hurt comes anger. I felt like I got swallowed into a hole and all I could focus on was the unpleasant things. I was thinking this is it, I'm done. All the while in my heart I could feel God telling me, "you are not done, there is more I want to do with you, you need more growth." I was getting uncomfortable and only seeing the low lying fruit. I wasn't looking up at the good fruit on top. The thing is in order to get the good fruit you have to climb. It may be hard, sweaty and exhausting but it's worth it.
It's not always easy, sometimes it's easier to focus on the low lying fruit and pick it, in the end it's not what you want. What I mean by low lying fruit is take the easy way, quit and give up. Philippians 4:8-9 says "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me- everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you."
Sometimes it's going back to the beginning, refocus on why I started this journey God called me to do. I did it to make a positive change and be the best person I can be. It's not always easy but it's worth the climb to the good fruit that is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable.
Photo Credit: Sparrow and Bean Studios
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