Self-Talk
Talking to yourself can be hazardous to your health. Recently, I felt I had failed in something I attempted to do. It colored my days. And those are dismal colors like gray or brown. The days were just blah.
Self-talk can lead to some serious actions, and probably all of us have experienced some of those, our own or our loved ones.
But I am talking about our run-of-the-mill, everyday, thoughts. Those are the kind that make you feel less than—you know what I mean? Not good enough. Lacking. Just plain blahhhhhhh.
God Talk
Then, one afternoon, as I gazed out over the valley (between fog and snowstorms when I could SEE the valley), I felt the presence of God with me.
Of course, the first thing I on my mind was a complaint about how I felt like such a failure. You want to know what He had to say to me?
“You are not a failure to Me, and I am the One to please. I am pleased with you.”
What?
My circumstances had not changed, but my heart lightened almost immediately.
Flower Talk
I remembered, or maybe it is more correct to say that God brought to my mind, the truth from Psalm 103. God made me. He made me the way He wanted me to be. He put into this model-made-from-dust exactly what combinations of gifts and talents He wanted me to use.
And if I used those gifts and talents, but I feel like I have fallen short, He reminds me that I have done the best I could. I did what was needed and that is all He requires of me. The final outcome doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to be a result of His call. That’s all.
We make it so hard.
Flowers come forth from dust. I watch my garden closely every year in the early spring. Shoots come out of the ground. The snow is still creeping around. The dirt is not prepared. It is not perfect. But it is exactly what it is supposed to be.
Eventually, the flowers burst forth.
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:13-14 NIV).
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