"Mama said there'd be days like this", so the old song by the Shirelles tells us. Have you had one of them? Or maybe a string of them? It's easy to feel discouraged when all you can see are the things that seem to be going wrong. I almost wonder if a lot of days could feel like one of these rough days, depending where we choose to focus.
In Philippians 4, Paul writes these words of encouragement: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." These words have been helpful to me many times, and I wonder if they can be helpful when it comes to how we handle hard days.
It's one thing to think about what's true, but even in doing that, we could easily end up focusing on all the negative things that are true. However, if we instead add to that list things that are right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy, I have a feeling we're going to end up in a rather different place mentally and emotionally.
We all probably have different areas in which we are particularly susceptible to feeling like failures. Based on some of my journal entries, I'm pretty sure parenting is one of mine. It is very easy for me to feel like I'm doing everything wrong, that I'm ruining things for my kids. Sometimes in these low moments, I will give in to being "lazy" about my parenting and act like I don't care, even though I actually deeply do.
During one of my times of journaling about this frustration over my perceived parental failures, I came around to a rather freeing bit of truth. It was this simple sentence: I get to love them today. I get to love them today. I may not do it perfectly and sometimes I might really totally mess up, but God's grace says I get to keep doing it anyway.
To me, that is a wonderful example of thinking about something that is true but also - all of those other adjectives. I pray that all of us could find those things that by God's grace we get to do, and do them with all our hearts.
Above: The students who who performed our fall play, Charlotte's Web, recently got to take their show on the road, sharing it in several local retirement homes. Blessings abounding!
Pray with me...
... Father, thank You that You continually give us fresh chances day by day
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
... Jesus, give all of us, in the ACSD community and beyond, attitudes like Yours
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Philippians 2:5-7
.... Holy Spirit, encourage the leaders of our schools and show them what is true, lovely and praiseworthy
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8
Thanks for taking the time to read this blog and pray for Alliance Christian School District! Lord willing, I plan to publish a new blog post weekly throughout the school year. Feel free to subscribe (at the bottom of this page) if you'd like to be notified each time a new blog post has been published. We also have a prayer team that is always open for new pray-ers to join. If you'd like to learn more, email me at cwarner@alliancechristian.org.
~ Carrie Warner, ACSD Prayer Team Coordinator
Soli Deo Gloria
To God alone be the glory
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