Wednesday; August 11

I hadn’t planned on watching much of the Olympic coverage, but from time to time I would tune in to see how things were going. Periodically, I would happen upon a track and field event that would capture my interest. As I watched some of the distance races, I thought back when I was in the habit of running and, while I can’t imagine doing those distances today, it did bring fond memories of those times. As I reflected on those memories, I didn’t remember the pain, I thought about the good times. One of the things that I remember most about those days was a special attitude. While it was tempting to keep my head down and focus on the next step I was about to take, my best runs were when I looked up and took in what was going on around me. When my mind appreciated what I was seeing and how I was feeling, the miles were easy (and even fun).

Have you noticed that when we get so focused on the details of life, it can suck the joy our of us? When we count the days (rather than making the most of the days), we experience discouragement. When we go out and look for problems (especially those what aren’t ours), we become disheartened. Yet, when we embrace the joy and excitement of life, our days fly by and our spirits soar!
Thousands of years ago, when a godly poet reflected on the coming of the Messiah, he observed, “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O Lord, do save, we beseech You; O Lord, we beseech You, do send prosperity! (Psalm 118:23-25). Let’s lift up our eyes to see the nature of God. When we do this, not only will He guide our steps, He will also lighten the load of our journey.

Think About It!

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