Sunny Days

The end of last week and now the beginning of this one has me more and more excited about summer. These warmer days with a lot of sunshine start to turn my emotions and get me optimistically prepared for what is to come. I have noticed over the past 10 years that during the months of December, January, and February when the clouds are abundant and sunlight is at a minimum, I tend to be more discouraged and lethargic. But when we do get those rare sunny days where you can feel the warmth of the sunlight it seems to make all the difference. It's strange, I know that the seasons change and that the clouds will come but for some reason it always surprises me. Up days, then down days. Emotionally distressed then emotionally encouraged.

That's just the physical side of things. I've found a similar cycle in my spiritual life as well. I think the common misconception about Christianity is that we will never have a down day; we'll never be discouraged or drained. I'll happily burst the bubble for you; that's just not true. The Bible is filled with examples of real people, people who struggled with depression, discouragement, frustration, problems, financial issues, family struggles, job loss, economic downturn, spiritual questions, and the list goes on and on. The one constant through all theses trying times was their deep unwavering faith in God. Mark Batterson once said, "Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do each day is just not give up." I've admitted in the past that Monday's aren't my best day. After a mentally and emotionally draining Sunday I'm usually pretty wiped out. I've learned not to make any big decisions on Monday. I don't even schedule many meetings on Monday because it's not a good day for me to deal with conflict. Monday's are a cloudy day. But every week Tuesday comes and I launch forward. I don't use it as an excuse for anything, but I recognize that life happens and it usually happens to me on Monday.

Be encouraged today, no matter how cloudy it seems in your life today, the sun WILL shine again. Life will make sense, problems will subside, things will get better. And if your right in the middle of a sunny day; enjoy the sunlight and take the time to slow down and recharge. Clouds will come again, but they won't stay long. The ups and downs of life are typical. Like those Biblical examples, just stay anchored to God. When everything else seems to change, God is unchanging!

Have a GREAT week!
Pastor Mark