I felt like God's Spirit spoke to me one morning a few weeks ago. And I wrote this down:
I've come to an understanding of something of a problem of comparison in my life. I tend to compare each new day to the best ones in the prior year or 2 years before it and that can ruin a day before it starts.
Comparing even a good day to the best days in prior years sets up expectations that every day be lived in comparison to those "best days" rather than just allowing the day to be what it is, a good day.
It seems to be a problem of comparison.
As I was waking up, it came as a revelation that I was already comparing today to the most emotionally fun and exiting days of my past 2 years and ruining my day before it started through emotional expectations.
"Life is pain," said Buddha.
"In this world, you will have pain," said Jesus.
My expectation for my day to go otherwise is a failure and the cause of additional suffering.
Peter said it this way: "Do not be surprised by the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you."
I think this time in my life is teaching me a few things. Like how not to kill the good with the memory of thebest. And how to be less idealistic, sentimental and overly expectant of stunning experiential and relational highs each day.
For me, as a people-person, I am really enhanced by personal encounters helping with or even just listening to other's needs, hopes and dreams. And here in DC that almost never happens, although it's happening more as I've been reaching out to some new people in my life. But during the work week, it still very rarely happens. So it seems that its the hope differed that causes the suffering.
Yet, I can be thankful for tons of little miracles that do happen in a day... like waking up with a roof over my head! Or waking up healthy! There's something thousands of people don't have!
I hope you're encouraged by my writing, dear reader, because I may not have much to offer some readers who are not overcoming what I am overcoming. But often just by the reading of someone being open, maybe too open, about their struggles, you can find glimpses of self-revelation, God's heart for you or even have your own encounter with God's Spirit. I highly recommend it. It's much much better than wallowing in unrecognized problems or pain. God's a problem solver!
I've come to an understanding of something of a problem of comparison in my life. I tend to compare each new day to the best ones in the prior year or 2 years before it and that can ruin a day before it starts.
Comparing even a good day to the best days in prior years sets up expectations that every day be lived in comparison to those "best days" rather than just allowing the day to be what it is, a good day.
It seems to be a problem of comparison.
As I was waking up, it came as a revelation that I was already comparing today to the most emotionally fun and exiting days of my past 2 years and ruining my day before it started through emotional expectations.
"Life is pain," said Buddha.
"In this world, you will have pain," said Jesus.
My expectation for my day to go otherwise is a failure and the cause of additional suffering.
Peter said it this way: "Do not be surprised by the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you."
I think this time in my life is teaching me a few things. Like how not to kill the good with the memory of thebest. And how to be less idealistic, sentimental and overly expectant of stunning experiential and relational highs each day.
For me, as a people-person, I am really enhanced by personal encounters helping with or even just listening to other's needs, hopes and dreams. And here in DC that almost never happens, although it's happening more as I've been reaching out to some new people in my life. But during the work week, it still very rarely happens. So it seems that its the hope differed that causes the suffering.
Yet, I can be thankful for tons of little miracles that do happen in a day... like waking up with a roof over my head! Or waking up healthy! There's something thousands of people don't have!
I hope you're encouraged by my writing, dear reader, because I may not have much to offer some readers who are not overcoming what I am overcoming. But often just by the reading of someone being open, maybe too open, about their struggles, you can find glimpses of self-revelation, God's heart for you or even have your own encounter with God's Spirit. I highly recommend it. It's much much better than wallowing in unrecognized problems or pain. God's a problem solver!
