Purpose For Your Life

Have you heard the story of the little bird before? Here are my thoughts on it and our reactions to the things that happen in our lives, especially now, as we make choices about the ways we respond to our circumstances.

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A little bird was flying south for the winter. He got so cold that he froze up and fell to the ground in a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped manure on the little bird. As he lay there in the manure, the bird began to realize how warm he was. The manure was actually thawing him out!

He lay there warm and happy, but soon he began to complain about the odor. A passing cat heard the little bird complaining. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of manure and promptly dug him out - and then ate him.

The moral of the story is that not everyone who drops manure on you is your enemy (sometimes they are even unaware they've done it) and not everyone who digs you out is your friend. So instead of complaining when you're in a miserable situation, know when to speak and when to keep quiet.

For instance, when those I love complain and tell me how awful their circumstances are, it affects my view of the person they feel has done something to them. Then, even though things are rosy again, I've still been left with the smell of the wrongs that were supposedly committed and it isn't that easy for me to forget.

There are also times when being dug out of the manure in our lives can do us more harm than good. There may be things we were meant to learn while we are in those situations and being rescued isn't any help to us. It's like our attempts to help a butterfly out of her cocoon. We may think we are doing a good thing, but that butterfly would die because there wasn't time for her wings to strengthen before she was freed.

What messy things do you need to go through in your life?

I read recently about a lady who became a drug addict at 15 years old and for the next 15 years of her life that was her story. As a result of that lifestyle, she wound up in prison. After she was released, it took many more years, but she ended up becoming a pastor who specifically went into women’s prisons and ministered to the ladies there. Now she has purchased a large home where female ex-offenders can go to live when they are released until they get on their feet again. You can read more about Cynthia and her amazing story at recoverychick.com

If you or I had met that lady during her years as a drug addict, we would probably have thought she was so buried in garbage that she would never amount to anything. And we would have been so wrong. No one is beyond hope. As I volunteer with the homeless, the addicted, and those in prison, I don’t want to ever forget that story. I want to see past all the outward things to the potential within each person I meet.

As our world changes, may we be those who see the good in people, who encourage, help, and bring out the best in others.

Take care, CarolYour Chief Encourager

Have you ever considered how much the things we think about affect our lives, either positively or negatively?

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Famed physician Ben Carson had an uncontrolled temper as a young man, to the point that he almost hit his mother. Ben did hit a boy in the hallway at school and another time threw a rock at a boy and broke his glasses. Every time he told himself that he didn’t mean to hurt anyone and could control his temper.

Finally, he got angry with his best friend for changing the station on the radio, whipped out his switchblade and threw it at him. The blade hit his friend in the stomach but broke when it connected with the large metal belt buckle he wore.

Ben almost killed his best friend and almost ruined his life because he couldn’t control his temper. He finally realized what a problem he had and spent four hours praying and asking God to heal his anger. After that, he never had a problem with anger again. Imagine what the world may have missed if Ben Carson hadn’t done that.

I realized after reading that story that it isn’t just temper that saps my energy, it’s whenever I let my emotions run wild. My husband can be late for dinner and I’ve already imagined all kinds of terrible scenarios and how I’ll cope with them. As well as upsetting me, allowing my thoughts to have free rein is a big waste of time. And the majority of the things we imagine never come to pass!

In the book Never Again, the author says:

“Wherever you go, there you are. Whatever you own, you are still the same person. Whoever you are with, you are still you. Wherever you work, you are still the same person.

If I hate my life, moving my same life to another building is not going to help.”

That reminded me of a time in my early twenties. My marriage had just ended and I was all ready to pack up and move hundreds of miles away, to a place where I didn’t know anyone. My wise mother advised me not to, that the grass wouldn’t be any greener somewhere else. Thankfully I listened.

Another aspect of the power of our thoughts comes from a daily devotional called “Come Away My Beloved” by Frances J. Roberts.

She says: “Worry is an actively destructive force. Anxiety produces tension, and tension is the road to pain. Fear is devastating to the physical well-being of the body. Anger throws poison into the system that no antibiotic can ever counteract.

Resentments and ill will bring about more arthritis than is caused by the wrong diet. More asthma is caused by repressed fury than by pollen or cat fur. Ten minutes of unbridled temper can waste enough strength to do a half-day of work.”

I know from experience that Ms Roberts is right. If I get really upset about something I end up feeling totally drained physically. I also know that it’s impossible for me to be thankful and negative at the same time.

As you go about your daily life today, I hope your thoughts uplift and encourage you, and as a result, others will also be encouraged by you too.

All the best, Carol

When we bought our house it was listed as a fixer-upper since it was so long since it had been properly cared for. Once we started cleaning, we discovered many high-end feature that the builder had included, but because of neglect and abuse, it was hard to tell.

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The book ‘Misfits Welcome’ by Matthew Barnett tells such a story, about a broken man named Barry.

Barry had an abusive childhood. He had been locked away in at attic until he was seven years old, having his food brought to him and being cut off from the rest of his family. Barry didn’t find out until later on in life that he had been hidden away because the family felt disgraced because his birth was the result of incest.

As a result of the neglect, Barry was experimenting with drugs by the time he was eleven and became a teen addict. In spite of the drugs, Barry still managed to get a college degree and a good job, got married and had a family. But the drug use continued and eventually Barry lost everything. At the age of 40 he was homeless and living under a bridge. Under the bridge became his home for 17 long years. Kids called Barry the Bridge Troll because he had hair down to his waist, a long beard, and was very dirty.

Then one day someone saw Barry and cared. They took him some food and invited him to church. He went and his life took a turn. Six years later, Barry went to Bible school and now cares for the homeless and shares his story. Barry was the kind of man we would pass by and say “He is too far gone to change,” but God created him as a beautiful masterpiece.

Barry’s story reminded me of the day we received some pears from our neighbour’s tree. I didn’t want to eat any of them. They were misshapen and marred looking, not appealing to me at all. But I hated to throw the pears out without at least tasting one, in case I was ever asked how I liked them. As I peeled away the outer, ugly layer, the pear began to look better. Yet I was still nervous about taking a bite. How could anything so ugly taste any good? But when I bit into the pear, it was delicious. Ripe and juicy, exactly right. And then God reminded me how often I look at the people I meet in the same outward and judgmental way, deciding without knowing all the goodness that might be inside. How much I am missing by doing that?

Have a wonderful rest of the week and don't forget to see those around you the way God see them, Carol

Download the episode here Reading my Bible in the morning and singing a bit helps me to have a more positive start to my day. Consider this verse:

Romans 12:6 says "God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well."

We don't realize that and think everyone can do those things, but that's not true. Make a list of all the things you can do well. Don't ever feel you have nothing to offer. Others need exactly what you have!

Have a wonderful new day, Carol

Have you ever heard the story of The Mouse Trap ( author unknown)? It goes like this, with my thoughts added afterwards:

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A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. "What food might this contain?" the mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning: "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The pig sympathized, but said "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The cow said "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house - like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital and she returned home with a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness. So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember: when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another. Each of us is a vital thread in another person's tapestry.

Most of our lives may have been fairly self-centered, mainly looking out for ourselves and what’s best for us. But I think with all the turmoil around us these days, we are realizing how interconnected we all are.

I read a puzzle comparison about how each person is like a piece of a jig saw puzzle: each of us is necessary, each of us is entirely unique, not one of us is more or less valuable, when a piece is missing, the whole picture suffers, and we are most effective when we stay connected!

I love that comparison and can see our puzzle coming together in so many ways. People are keeping an eye out for one another. We are making an effort to be an encouragement to those who are struggling. We are appreciating our blessings and the people who help to make those blessings possible. We are taking our eyes off of ourselves and caring for other people. And when this pandemic is over, I look forward to seeing the beautiful puzzle we will have created together.

Have a wonderful day, Carol