I started out today trying to fix what some would call my situation. I ended the day not feeling like I had a situation to fix. Well, at least not the same situation. The situation I no longer feel a need to fix I could not fix anyway. The situation I now am working on fixing is mine to fix or at least mine to think about fixing. God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the ones I can and wisdom to know the difference!
Tonight was step study. I walked in and shut down emotionally. But in the end I decided to open up and talk about why I was closing down. Now I feel immensely better about the situation. It is kind of cool how sharing works.
I do not remember much about my conversation with God today. I know I had at least a little. I thought about the kind of God who starts a sermon with things like “Truly happy and to be blessed are you when you are poor, when you mourn. Truly happy and blessed are you when men curse and revile you for my name’s sake.” Then follows it up with things like “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” and “If you thought you are evil know how to give good things to your kids, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to you?” It is the persecuting and reviling next to the good things God will give us that makes me think. (And all those quotes are my personal paraphrases of the actual Biblical text.)
I haven’t made it to the “truly happy am I when men revile me” stage yet. I am not happy at all when men or women revile me.
And I thought about being teachable today. I need to be teachable in all situations. Not just in situations where I know the people around me know more than me and also have more wisdom.
God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about youc and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way. – Matthew 5:10-12
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