There is no shortage of bad news right now. People seem to be angrier, more frustrated, and increasingly verbal on any and all topics.

It’s not that the news should not cause emotion to rise up in us but we do owe it to one another to listen respectfully, for discussions to be held in kindness. And we need to remember we are to make responsible choices for we will be accountable for them.

I wake up at night and think about the ones I love. I wonder about the state of affairs, disease, the violent outbreaks occurring more frequently, and the transitions all around us. I worry about the world that is forming for my three granddaughters.

The struggle is real and I’m just being honest.

But then I open my Bible and read:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”

“The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

“Yes, the Lord is for me, he will help me.”

And then:

“This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
(all the Scriptures come from Psalm 118, NLT)

We need to hold onto hope when we face anxiety, discouragement, frustration, or despair. On those days when we feel overcome, we need to fight back an fight against these emotions. The best way to do this?

We need to take note of the goodness the Lord places around us each and every day. He surrounds us with beauty and surprises and joy each day, if we have eyes to see it. He puts it there before everything is all right and in agreement in our lives. In the midst of the hard days, we can find something to celebrate and enjoy.

One might even say – we need to have a celebratory mindset. Be cheerful. Be happy. And in so being, let’s not miss the beauty and surprises God places all around us. These days will pass and we don’t get a second time around.

I’m choosing to celebrate and enjoy these days …

As I sit in the dark, on the bathroom floor with my granddaughter as she discovers the wonder of a flashlight and making shadows with her stuffed animals. Her laughter makes me laugh equally as hard as she.

As I sit and listen to the sounds of the crickets, katydids, and cicadas. They sing their song day and night and a comfort that fills my soul.

As I trim the bushes all around the house one last time before the winter, the aroma of the changing seasons fills my senses.

In each of these celebrations, He brings the reminder:

He is good.
He is faithful.
And He will be with us in every season.

Photo by David Tommasino
Today I am joining … Recharge Wednesday and Woman to Woman .