Thought For Today

I am so glad that you have found this site and I hope you will find encouragement and joy as you read through my thoughts on God, family and life.

Friday, March 4, 2016

Getting Rid of the Me's

Not being used to walking the many miles we have at the Disney parks I was feeling the soreness in my feet and body. I had also injured my arm just before leaving Winona after falling on the lake ice while skating with Abby and that too was acting up as well. I was relieving the pain in my arm by taking liberal amounts Ibuprofen each day as prescribed by my medical provider. At times recently, I felt sorry for myself in not being able to do the things that I normally enjoy at home and down here at Disney. My attention of course was on myself when the pain became more intense.
God though has a way of helping us to refocus when we are too attentive to the "me's" in our lives. 
Today when leaving Epcot, Anne, Abby and I were meeting my in-laws and Will at the parking lot at the end of a busy day. When walking briskly down the sidewalk, I watched an elderly couple walk along very quickly in front of us. Both had extremely deformed backs and were struggling to walk. But what struck me with the incongruity of the situation, was that they were both laughing and pointing at various things on the way out of the park, obviously they were having the time of their lives in spite of their extreme pain . They were both seemingly ignoring their painful handicaps. This puzzled me greatly. "How could they be in such pain and still be having so much fun?" In his gentle way, God was revealing to me that this couple was not limiting themselves to roadblocks, they just went around them. God was teaching me what Paul spoke about in his letter to the Philippians in the Bible. 
Philippians 4:11-13
"Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
This couple had received God's grace and were focusing on the wonders around them, as well as enjoying all of life's moments. This was God's teachable moment for me to learn from him.