What are the truly important things in life? What are the absolute-must-do’s as compared to the optional they would-be nice– but they are not have-to-do’s? From my personal experience it is so easy and simple to get totally confused in this life and our society and its “Western Civilization” mentality and value systems. Mankind started out fairly simple and easy communing with God in The Garden of Eden. All of his needs were met and/or provided by his Creator. Life and it’s functions were perfectly balanced. Adam and Eve lived in perfect happiness and harmony. They were thankful to God for all of their provisions and protections. They lived with grateful hearts towards everything they had. They maintained their humble hearts which were in total submission to their Creator and Provider, Father God. God had made everything that was made so that total peace and harmony could be lived and enjoyed by all of His Creations.
Oh,…but then mankind quit listening to and following the instructions God had given to Adam and Eve. Disobedience appeared on the scene and wallah! The Falling Away of man from God occurred. Nothing has been the same since. Our fallen world can never again be reinstated to its previous levels of harmony until the final completion of God’s Plan for man and for all of the earth. That, of course, will happen with the Second Coming of The Lord Jesus Christ.
Meanwhile, we,…you and me and all others on this earth,…are just going to have to live with the way things are today,….or will we?
Happiness and Peace of Mind are still very attainable prospects in the Life of any person,….if…they make the right choices and do the right and proper things while alive on the earth. God’s Laws and His Instructions have not changed since the completion of the Time of Creation. What worked in the very beginning of mankind’s existence still will work today. Life,… because of a myriad for different causes and effects,… has certainly become much more complicated and over-filled with distractions, BUT…God remains unchanged. He and His Will for man are not going to change, but…you and I can change. May I remind you that God owes us no explanation as to why things happen in our life. He just tells us to obey His…Rules, Instructions, Leadings, and His Word, and leave the rest of life up to Him. That can only be accomplished when we are fully dependent on God alone and walk in faith as we live our lives with the knowledge and comfort that “all things work together for good” no matter what those “things” actually are. We are promised great longevity and happiness of life if we choose to live in that manner and way.
Today is a beautiful, sun-shiny, and chilly Thanksgiving Day,…November 28, 2013. This special Day is, by law, recognized annually in America on the fourth Thursday of every November.
There are so many miserable, negative, unhappy and tragic things and events going on around the world, most of which we individually have little or no control over, that a person if they are not diligent to focus on the good….on our blessings,… on our Protector, our Provider, and our Redeemer,….. could quite easily slip off into the negative, unhappy, miserable, and lonely side of life. Do Not Do That! That is not the way God wants us to live.
The truth is that we all live in a Fallen World and life has been like that ever since Eve took a bite out of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Because of the Fall of Man, there has always been and always will be lots and lots of ugly in the world. The good news is really quite simple… accepting the negative, wallowing in it, and constantly thinking and talking about it never gets much accomplished and therefore things don’t seem to change. Accepting and dwelling on the negative is a personal choice.
The better way to live is to spend your time and thoughts dwelling on the good, the positive, and the blessings of your life. There are so many good and wonderful things for which to be thankful. Focus on them and live your life dwelling on the good, dwelling on what is going right, dwelling on your family and friends, and dwelling on your blessings!
I have a precious and dear friend who lives in southern California. He is a very successful professional man. We have been friends for well over 30 years. He has been through many unbelievable trying times and tribulations during the course of his life,…all without complaint, whimper, or whine. He lost his wife to an untimely and premature death. He has experienced great difficulties with his children. He has seen many financial woes and the loss of assets and relationships that goes hand-in-glove with such things and events. But he has a secret. He has an outside source of great strength and power to help him and all others through the storms of life. He is a Christian and as such Jesus is his anchor.
On this National Holiday and in concert with the early beginnings of our great country, my friend knows the Truth of Life and The Truth of our nation which was built on the Truth. The early Thanksgiving celebrations were more of a religious praise-filled day than one of filling a person’s stomach. The early Americans were very humble and thankful to their God for everything that happened to them be it good or bad. Remember they lost half of their numbers that very first winter. They truly understood adversity and the overall control of life by Almighty God.
This morning as I awoke, I received a text message from my dear friend in southern California. His message contained, in part, exactly what it is that I am attempting to communicate to you through this message. I believe he will not mind if I share with you, what he wrote to me.
As I have struggled and fought through the major challenges and adjustments over the past five years of my life, it has become completely apparent to me as to how I have missed many of the most really important things in life. If you will permit me, I would like to share with you that which I have learned,… I will simply tell you to keep your eyes and mental focus on God regardless of your personal beliefs about Him.
I sincerely hope and pray that you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. I hope you were able spend all or most of it with your family and loved ones. As this day draws to a close,…I hope you feel, understand and adopt what my friend had to say to me through his text message this morning. Here are his words:
“The Supreme prayer of my heart is not to be learned, rich, famous, powerful, or good, but simply to be radiant!
I desire to radiate health, cheerfulness, calm courage, and good will. I wish to live without hate, whim, jealousy, envy, and fear.
I wish to be simple, honest, frank, natural, clean in body, unaffected, as ready to say I do not know, if it be so, and to meet all men on an absolute equality, to face any obstacle and meet every difficulty unabashed and unafraid. I wish others to live their lives, too–up to their highest, fullest, and best.
To that end I pray that I may never meddle, interfere, dictate, give advice that is not wanted, or assist when my services are not needed. If I can help people I’ll gladly do it, by first giving them a chance to help themselves; and if I can uplift or inspire, let it be by example, inference, and suggestion, rather than by injunction and dictation.
That is to say, I desire to be radiant–to radiate abundant life!”
Peace and Love to All of You………………Poppa Bear