You will just have to keep dancing

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Renewed hope”

Our Bible verse for today: “You have turned my mourning into dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” Psalm 30:11-12 (NLT)

Our thought for today: “You will just have to keep dancing”

One of my favorite books about persevering through tough times and finding renewed hope through tragic circumstances is, “You Gotta Keep Dancin” by Tim Hansel. It’s an old book, written in 1985, but the message is as relevant today as it was the day Tim wrote it.

Tim Hansel was a strong, healthy, and adventurous young man who loved rock climbing. Serious rock climbing. The kind that requires ropes and ice picks and scaling sheer rock walls in remote places at insane heights. Until the day of the accident. In a moment of inattention on an icy snow-packed ledge he slipped, fell a long way, and suffered injuries that would plague him the rest of his life. Never again would Tim have a pain-free day.

A rescue team saved Tim. He had surgeries and rehab and counseling, but he would never really be well again – not for the remaining thirty-five years of his life. So, Tim had to decide how he was going to approach life dealing with that kind of pain every day. The insight he needed came from his doctor. When Tim asked the doctor how he was supposed to live in a meaningful way with that kind of daily pain the doctor told him, “I suggest that you bite the bullet and live to be a hundred … My recommendation is that you live your life as fully and richly as possible.”

That was the renewed hope Tim needed. He decided to trust God, receive every day as a gift, and then live life to the fullest extent possible under the circumstances as they were. Not only did Tim learn that lesson and live by it in his own life, but he formed an organization to motivate people to be overcomers of their circumstances. He wrote books; he conducted workshops; and spoke at seminars. He bit the bullet and he lived his life.

We all have pain in life. Sometimes it’s physical pain, sometimes emotional, but we all have pain. We all have challenges to overcome and limitations to push past. The question isn’t whether you will have challenges, pain, and limitations, but rather, how you will deal with those challenges, pain, and limitations. Quoting Tim Hansel, “Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional.” It all depends how you approach it and what you do with it.

To find renewed hope you will first have to decide that you are just going to keep dancing.

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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