Tag: finding balance

Moments of wonder and laughter!

Every day can be a real mixture of events, from IT failures to communication frustrations. There are so many challenges in modern life.

Yet in the midst of even the most routine days, there can be moments of wonder and laughter, which so lift our spirits.

In the last week, I was in a cafe, and striving to work something out on my laptop. When I looked up- this is what I saw.

An incredibly tame robin!

I was told that he often visited, and that he would perch on the chair, and just come and say hello! He was so friendly- there is something about a robin that is so comforting. These are little birds with such large characters.

And then later in the week, I was out and decided to get my dog Gabriel a wee treat, and asked for a lorne sausage for him. This is what I was given.

Beautifully presented.

I just found the idea of a knife and fork for Gabriel to eat his sausage so funny. I was picturing him with a bib and with a place setting at a table! I asked the man why he had given my dog cutlery, and he said it was so I could cut his sausage for him. He didn’t know Gabriel, as my dog could have eaten the whole sausage in one bite!

These are maybe a bit random, but I felt they were God’s way of reminding me of the lighter things in life- the beauty of nature, the kindness of human beings, and I was grateful.

Eternal Father, we are so weighed down at times by the sadness on the earth, so many struggles and heartaches. Thankyou for lighter moments, of wonder and humour. Lord Jesus, You spent time with people on the roads of Galilee, and there must have been times of encounter and times of rest, times of sorrow and times of laughter. Holy Spirit remind us of the balance in life, and give us attentive spirits to unexpected moments of joy!

Acknowledging negative bias!

Is the glass half full or half empty?

When we look back at memories, we often remember what went wrong, rather than anything that went well. We might have had a good journey, but the thing that most comes to mind was that we almost ran out of petrol. We might have had a lovely coffee with a friend, but the bit we dwell on was that there was a draught from the door. We often fixate on the bit that was less than perfect or even almost went wrong!

Scientists speak of how our brains naturally have a negative bias. It is something primal, so we don’t overlook something that is a potential threat or danger. We tend to see the world through a distorted lens.

This makes the understanding and  narration of events so difficult, as they are always interpreted through our own perception. If we are aware that we can at times over emphasise the negative, then the repair is to be thankful. The psalms are full of calls to be thankful. ‘ Give thanks to the Lord for He is good’ psalm 107;1 .Part of the prayer The Examen, is to spend time at the end of each day noticing the good ways God has been at work in our lives, and this is indeed a healing thing to do.

To add another twist in this however, is that sometimes we are so busy trying to be thankful, that we characterise something difficult or damaging through rose coloured glasses. We make excuses for things, we try to see the best in people, where actually the darkness is deeper than we thought. Having this realisation I think is one of the saddest place to be.

The Bible talks of us all being sinners, and that we all are called to be honest about our failings and shortcomings. This is liberating, as because of the cross, God offers us forgives for our wrongdoing. But when we realise how rebellious we are as a human race, what our capability to destroy is, it is salutary, as we all contribute to what is wrong in the world.

Jesus calls us to live in balance- yes to be aware of the darkness, but also to choose to live in the light. As we get older I think this is more difficult, as there are so many shadows. We ask the holy spirit to help us. If we have a tendency to negativity, then we pray to notice what is good and hopeful. If we think the world is always a lovely place, may we ask for insight as to the heartbreaks around us, so we may play our part to bring consolation and healing to those in pain. May God give to us all the grace that we need for whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, so we can console as well as being consoled.

Eternal Father, You have created this to be a beautiful and inspirational world, with a myriad of colour and form and texture. There are seasons in our lives when we are off balance, especially when we are noticing only the negative and the cruel. Lord Jesus call us out of the darkness, remind us of all that is noble, true, beautiful and good, pure and lovely. May our attention dwell on these, so that our soul is healed. May your Holy Spirit touch our lives and rekindle our love though an outpouring of your joyful abundance of love, that we be reminded of our true identity in You, and learn to dance in freedom once more. For your precious Son’s sake, Amen