Learn to love your life

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”

Our Bible verse for today: “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” Psalm 16:6 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Learn to love your life”

Our theme this month has been inspired by Tim Hansel’s great little book “You Gotta Keep Dancin”. It’s about how Tim learned to live a full and productive life despite living in constant pain because of a rock-climbing accident earlier in life.

The accident was a big deal. It changed Tim’s life dramatically. As a young man he was a strong, adventurous, physically fit athlete. He had an M.A. and an M.B.A. from Stanford, and he had planned to remain strong and athletic for the rest of his life as he pursued amazing adventures and had great success in the business world. But that’s not how his life unfolded. Instead, his body was broken, he lived in pain, he hobbled a lot, and he spent much of his time writing and speaking rather than climbing mountains and riding white water rapids.

However, Tim discovered the joy and fulfillment that was available to him in his new life. It was there, he just needed to find it, embrace it, and be grateful for it. He wrote, “I survived because I’ve discovered a new and different kind of joy that I never knew existed – a joy that can coexist with uncertainty and doubt, pain, confusion, and ambiguity.”

Psalm 16:6 is one of my favorite Bible passages and one of my personal life verses. I recite it to myself often. It helps me to remember that despite the trials and difficult circumstances I am often faced with in the life that I have, there is also much joy and adventure, and there are many good things to be appreciated and to be thankful for in life as it is. Life isn’t perfect, and I have my share of problems just like you do, but still the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.

Our series for this month is over, and we won’t be looking into Tim’s book any further. But before we leave it, I will share with you one more helpful and inspiring thought from him:

“Each of us gets a second chance every day, if we would just open our eyes to the possibilities … life is not so much meant to be understood as it is to be lived out; it is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be participated in fully.”

I encourage you to live life fully. Overcome the challenges. Embrace the mystery. Enjoy the adventure. Learn to love your life as it is.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are 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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