Friday, August 1, 2008

Friday Deep Thought

Today's Friday Deep Thought comes to us from The Purpose Driven Life's website. I read the site from time to time and thought this was a good thought.

Jon Walker –
Have you ever been somewhere you didn’t want to be? Maybe it was a job, a town, or a marriage. Maybe it was a stage in life, like singlehood, or a state in life, like a disability. It’s very possible that as you read this, you’re wishing you were somewhere else – anywhere else – living a different life, but you know it’s not likely that anything is going to change any time soon.

God has a word for you. It’s the same word he gave a group of people when they were stuck in another country, exiled from their homeland. They’d folded their arms and said, “We’re going to wait this thing out, and when we get home, we’ll start living our lives.”

Through the prophet Jeremiah, God told them, “You’re not going home any time soon, so start making your lives here. Plant gardens, buy homes, let your children get married, and pray for the peace and prosperity of the place where you’re currently living because, by doing that, you too will be blessed with peace and prosperity” (Jeremiah 29:5-7).

Don’t invest your energy in hopes of leaving; instead invest your energy in the people around you. Don’t be physically present but mentally somewhere else, thinking of the future or the past, thinking of someplace else. Our journey with Jesus requires we be fully present in the present.
You may feel like you’re in exile too, but God is still working in your life; and his message to you is: Dig in and fully embrace the life around you.

7 comments:

TC said...

I think I would have called this more of a deep thought than a fun fact... but it was still an interesting read.

OK Chick said...

Oh good call. I couldn't think of a new title. I will take your suggest and rename the post. Thanks!

Renee Nefe said...

I know that many others have thought this was really good cuz they've all said it in different ways.
I spend a lot of my life complaining about the things in it. I know that's wrong, but it's how I was brought up...My mother never had a kind word to say about anything. I'm trying to overcome that. It's tough. I want to be better for my child.

Kelly T said...

Nice deep thought. It's always good to be reminded that we need to serve Christ in the NOW and not daydream about the future. Thanks for sharing!

TC said...

So I'm trying to figure out some stuff to do in Portland for the day before my friend meets me there. I'm trying to pick a hotel that offers a shuttle but that also gets me close enough to downtown to walk around and explore on my own.

So... hotel recommendations? And... must see/do in Portland recommendations?

P.S. Good job renaming this one! :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for that lovely post.... food for thought indeed

Renee Nefe said...

re: kitties, I don't have any. that was just a cute camping shot. ;)