Clay in the Hands

I am sure you have heard the phrase, “perception is reality.”. There is a lot of truth to that statement but we must always remember that perception isn’t necessarily truth.

I ran across this quote today in “A Guide to Prayer For All Who Seek God,” and the quote is from Norman Shawchuck. He said, “To view reality from a slightly different perspective often yields a view of things totally unlike what they appeared to be. If we take just a couple of steps in another directon, what we view as reality is often profoundly changed.”

This thought is relevant on several levels but today I want to focus on only two. The first is this: if you disagree with a person about something important to you, before you close your mind to the possibility that person might be right, try viewing the issue from their perspective.

The second thought I have is this: many of us are faced this very day with circumstances that seem overwhelming. But before you throw in the towel, try taking a few steps to the side and looking at the situation again. Never forget that God sees the big picture. God loves you and has your back. What you perceive to be reality might not be real at all.

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I have taken some time off this past week and it has been good to shut down and get some things done around the house.  To be honest, I could use another week or so to get it all done.  But one thing I have not enjoyed about my few days off is that our internet has been down at home.  So no blog posting.

I had planned to post something on New Year’s Eve regarding the coming year and possible resolutions.  But, given the lack of a connection, you are getting that post today.

It is hard to believe 2010 is already here.  The new year means re-focusing our attention on things that maybe we have let slide over the past few months.  Many people go so far as to make commitments or resolutions that things are going to be different in some way this year.  We resolve within ourselves that we are going to lose weight, or start exercising or become more active in church or other organizations.

Regardless of what the “thing” is, we make up our minds that “I’m going to change” and “things will be different.”  But what happens to most of us?  Let me ask you more specifically, here it is January 4^th, if you made resolutions, how is that working out for you?  Still keeping them?

All of those things are worthy, but before you start a guilt trip, let me offer a suggestion.  As Christ followers, the most important change any of us can make in this fresh, new year is to strive to be more like Jesus on December 31, 2010, than we are on January 4, 2010.

That is very easy for us to agree to but without accountability, “it ain’t gonna happen!”  So here is my challenge for each of us today:  resolve to strive to be more like Jesus this year – now be specific as to how you are going to do it.  Once you have specific ideas, let someone know what you are going to do to make it happen and ask them to check up on you throughout the week.

In fact, I would like to hear what your ideas are so please leave comments as not only a way of accountability but also as a means of sparking ideas in each of the rest of us.

Come on, take the challenge!

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I am on vacation this week and so this morning I have been sitting in my comfortable chair, drinking a cup of coffee and listening to the silence.  The boys are still in bed and my lovely bride has to work today – so as I said, silence.

But as I look around the room, I see the remnants of Christmas.  The tree is standing there but dark.  There are still boxes scattered around the tree but they are empty.  Christmas is over.  As I sit here, there is a sense of sadness that the big day has come and gone.  Now I am faced with the clean up.  Depressing!

But I have had something stuck in my head since yesterday (not associated with the head cold I have been dealing with).  Christmas day is not the end but rather the beginning.  We build up to Christmas day starting in October or early November (unless you are like me and then it is much later).  We shop, we decorate, we plan, we cook, we wrap and we get excited.  Then once the day comes and passes, we feel let down a little, as if everything culminated on that one day.

But remember, Christmas day is our way of celebrating the birth of our Savior; an event when Jesus was born – the beginning of his life on earth.  He then grew and gathered disciples and taught them, and us, how to live and love.

So here is my challenge to you today.  Christmas day is not the end but rather the beginning.  How are you going to live today based on the knowledge that Jesus was born?  What are you going to do differently today to show the world that you follow Jesus?

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