| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship” Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Breathe in, breathe out, move on” A couple of weeks ago in a daily devotional message I mentioned that my new book, “The End of Anxiety and Despair” was due to arrive from the printer that day. But it didn’t. There was about a ten-day delay in printing, but last Friday it was done and ready to be picked up. Unfortunately, when I saw the final product, I realized there was a problem. I had done a poor job of conceptualizing the format and design of the book and consequently, it was quite different from what I had envisioned. But I didn’t say anything to the owner of the print shop. He’s such a nice man and this was not his fault. Additionally, the production of my book had created special problems for him (thus the ten-day delay) and he was very glad to be done with it. So, I simply smiled, accepted the book the way it was, and went home and pouted about it. Seriously, I was disappointed and depressed. I was moody with my wife, irritated with the dog, ticked off at the world in general, and I sat out on my front porch and sulked. Then I decided to go for a walk. I streamed Sirus XM radio on my phone, put on my headphones, and purely by chance (?) one of my favorite Jimmy Buffet songs came on. The title is “Breathe in, breathe out, move on.” It’s all about taking life in stride, not making a big deal out of little deals, accepting minor disappointments with grace and good humor, and getting on with life. Breathe in, breathe out, move on. As I listened, I started laughing at myself. What irony that I had just written a book about the end of anxiety and despair and here I was giving in to anxiety and despair because my book about anxiety and despair was causing me anxiety and despair. Soon I was okay again. I realized that all I needed to do was call Steve on Monday morning, explain the problem, and he would fix it for me. And that is what happened. Steve was typically gracious and accommodating. We discussed some ways to improve the book and I brought it back to him. It really wasn’t that big of a deal after all. Or at least, it shouldn’t have been. In Philippians 4:6-7 the Apostle Paul reminds us of the very truth I should have remembered when I had my little episode with the book – take life in stride, pray about things, trust them to God, and relax. Breathe in, breathe out, move on. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville |
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