I have been a Disney fan for as long as I can remember. We lived in Southern California from late 1956 through 1968, the golden years of Disneyland. I was an honorary Mouseketeer, saw all the movies, and knew all the songs. About 20 years ago we were able to take our kids to Disney World, and promised them we'd do it again. We're finally able to keep that promise this April, which means my brain is fully in Disney preparation mode. The other day I was having a bad day, and kept thinking of Eeyore. Eeyore is the perpetually sad donkey friend of Winnie The Pooh. I was thinking that I felt like Eeyore that day, but the more I thought about it there was something I needed to do to fully embrace Eeyore. You see, Eeyore may be perpetually sad, but at the end of all his sads comes a happy. Sort of like the silver lining in the clouds. Eeyore is master of the silver lining. For instance, he loves rainy days because rainy days mean rainbows. He never expects good things, so when good things happen, like his friends remembering his birthday, he is always pleasantly surprised.
It reminded me of the times in Paul's letters when he admonishes people to give thanks in all things, or to praise God even in the midst of troubles. When things are going wrong, or are not going right, we tend to get into a spiral of despair. The worse things are the worse we feel, and the worse we feel the worse things get, and the worse things get...you get the idea. But if we can take a step back and find even one little thing that is praiseworthy, or for which we can give thanks it begins to turn our thought-process around. Even if our thanks is only that whatever happened wasn't worse it helps us to put things into perspective. Even if our praise is just to claim that God is with us in our difficulties it helps us to no longer feel we are facing the troubles alone. Sometimes all we can do is thank God that we're still able to put one foot in front of the other, but it is enough.
Loving God, it is easy for us to sing your praises when we are on the mountaintops of our lives. It is much more difficult when we are deep in despair. We cannot sing the songs of Zion when our lyres are hung on the willows and we feel we will never emerge from the depths of our misery. But it is precisely in those times we most need to sing your praises, even if it is a quiet and tentative song. Fill us with your Spirit in all things so that we might have the courage and strength to give you thanks, whether in good times or in bad....Amen.
It reminded me of the times in Paul's letters when he admonishes people to give thanks in all things, or to praise God even in the midst of troubles. When things are going wrong, or are not going right, we tend to get into a spiral of despair. The worse things are the worse we feel, and the worse we feel the worse things get, and the worse things get...you get the idea. But if we can take a step back and find even one little thing that is praiseworthy, or for which we can give thanks it begins to turn our thought-process around. Even if our thanks is only that whatever happened wasn't worse it helps us to put things into perspective. Even if our praise is just to claim that God is with us in our difficulties it helps us to no longer feel we are facing the troubles alone. Sometimes all we can do is thank God that we're still able to put one foot in front of the other, but it is enough.
Loving God, it is easy for us to sing your praises when we are on the mountaintops of our lives. It is much more difficult when we are deep in despair. We cannot sing the songs of Zion when our lyres are hung on the willows and we feel we will never emerge from the depths of our misery. But it is precisely in those times we most need to sing your praises, even if it is a quiet and tentative song. Fill us with your Spirit in all things so that we might have the courage and strength to give you thanks, whether in good times or in bad....Amen.
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