The New Year

December 30th, 2009

The New Year beckons to you. “What can I bring to you in these next twelve months?” it says expectantly.
“Oh, just a good year with no unpleasant surprises,” you say.
The New Year has heard it all before but is still shocked. “All you ever dreamed and all you ever imagined I can give you,” it says.
“Thanks but things are alright now and I don’t want to upset anything,” you say.
“Things are always changing. Let me change them in the direction you want,” it says.
“Oh no, no changes thank you. I’ve had enough changes to last a lifetime,” you say. “Just keep everything the way it is thank you. If you want to do something how about a vacation to that place we always go?”
“Why not something different, someplace different?”
“Oh no, you’re just looking for trouble when you get away from the tried and true,” you say.
“I can’t promise you a year without changes. I can’t get you closer to your dreams because you haven’t told me them. I can’t make this year any different. It will just be random again,” it says.
“Perfect!” you say. The New Year walks away, an unopened bag of treasures and adventures over its shoulder.
You walk into the other room and say “What do you want to do?” and the other person says for the umpteenth time “I don’t know. What do you want to do?”
Dream and plan and set some goals and the above conversation is a fable. Do nothing and it’s your life. Choose wisely.

 

No Fear!

December 28th, 2009

When you are teaching a child to swim or ride a bike or walk on a balance beam, the child is usually very scared. You know that there is absolutely no basis for that fear but it is extremely difficult to convey that fact to the child. The fear blots out any rational understanding. If the child would calm down and realize that no harm could possibly befall him or her because you were right there, it would be so much easier for them to just learn the task at hand. If only we could see the fears in our own life as clearly! The next statement is one that you need to burn into your mind so that regardless of circumstances, you would remember it. YOU DON’T HAVE A FEAR PROBLEM. YOU HAVE A DOUBT PROBLEM! You have never had a fear problem. There are things that frighten you about your life, health, finances or relationships and you wrestle with that feeling instead of realizing that there is SOMEONE watching over you at all times. From time to time you believe that fact but at other times, especially difficult times, you doubt it. And it is exactly that doubt that allows fear to make an appearance and then you forget about your doubting because you’ve got this big fear to contend with now. The fear could never exist in your mind if doubt didn’t paint its picture and make it seem real. When the man whose son was having seizures approached Jesus for a cure, Jesus said “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Belief and doubt cannot coexist! Believing that no harm can come because of who stands next to him, the child to learn how to swim or ride a bike instead of being paralyzed by fear. You don’t have to work on your fears. You just have to work on your doubts. Get rid of your doubts and belief reigns fearlessly.