Today’s scripture: Romans 8:18-25 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Ben Lamb):
Sometimes, I’m tempted to have a little pity party for myself. Most of these moments begin with:
• “If only…”
• “Why can’t I…”
• “It’s not fair that…”
• “I’ve been wronged because…”
Then, after reading today’s scripture, an idea came to mind. I remember when I was in Art class, what fun it was to dabble with water colors. I was amazed at how much a color’s intensity could be affected by the amount of water added. The thought came to me how I could apply the concept of colors to my life. I imagined each happy moment I’ve ever known as being represented by a drop of my most favorite color (MFC) and each unhappy moment being represented by a drop of my least favorite color (LFC). At times in this life, it seems that my MFC pot is the most full. At other times, it seems that the LFC pot is the most full. But, there’s more.
Revelation 22:1-2 describes a “river of the water of life” in heaven. I’m persuaded to believe I’ll have only one heavenly “pot of color” (the MFC one, naturally) and that it will continue to be filled forever. Whatever earthly “pot of LFC” I may insist on dragging there with me will be diluted by this river until the memories of those unhappy moments will be faded and disseminated beyond recognition.
This idea may seem wildly unbelievable or Pollyanna-ish to some people, but why not cling to some kind of upbeat hope? Does hope have to be tangible? No. We believe in other concepts that cannot be put on scales and weighed:
• Love
• Charity
• Kindness
• Peace
This hope will help me reduce the number of pity parties that I throw for myself, and increase my MFC, here and now!
Thought for the day: This present Earth: It ain’t all there is.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.