| Good Morning Everyone, Our theme for this month: “Resilience” Our Bible verse for today: “But those who trust in the Lord, will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Action and attitude” I love inspirational stories because, well, because they’re inspirational. They make me want to be better than I am. I especially love being around inspirational people. Reading an inspirational story is good, but watching it being lived out before you in real life is better. That’s one of the reasons I’m grateful God allowed me to have twelve years of friendship with my friend Tom Herring, whose funeral I told you about last week. It’s also why I’m grateful for the example I see lived out in my own home day-after-day by my wife Linda. In March it will be fourteen years since she had the stroke that rendered her seriously disabled. But they have been fourteen years of resilience, achievement, and victory for her. Hard years, but good years. I’ve also told you in these devotionals about resilience demonstrated by others who, although I’ve never met them personally, reading their stories has been inspirational and motivating for me. Eric Greitens, Joni Eareckson Tada, and Tim Hansel just to name a few. In his book “You Gotta Keep Dancin’” Tim Hansel writes about others like that who have inspired him. He calls such people the “verbs” and “exclamation points” of life. In other words, they’re all action and attitude – despite their limitations. They’re people who, rather than sitting around complaining, rather than being victims of their circumstances, they find ways to live life to the fullest, with vigor and gusto. And they have chosen to live that way. They have chosen to be a victor rather than a victim. They embrace their situation as it is, and do what they have to do in order to live the fullest life they can under the circumstances as they are. But this lesson isn’t just for those faced with a life of disability and pain, it’s for all of us. We will all have adversity and pain in life and the choice for all of us won’t be if we experience it, but how we deal with it. As Tim wrote, “What a test adversity is. It can either destroy or build up, depending on our chosen response.” I thank the Lord for the inspirational examples He has put into our lives like Tom and Tim and Linda and Joni who show the rest of us how to do this right. They truly are the verbs and exclamation points of life – all action and attitude as they live life to the fullest. God Bless, Pastor Jim |
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