Refocus

I've asked and have been asked the question, What do you do when you don't know what to do?  The question often comes up when there's no apparent way to go forward, when it seems life is just a series of problems, when there's more sorrow than joy, when difficult challenges become routine, when life as we know it ends.  Our natural inclination is to suffer through the hard stuff, desperately waiting for things to be different, imagining how life could be without impossibilities piling up.  Many times we don't realize we've missed the gift of the day until we look backwards.

At some point, regardless of how exhausting or challenging life has become, we need to find a way through it.  

The thing is . . . there's a life-altering way . . . to get through anything and everything.  I've seen it and experienced it. Though it may sound religious and even naive, we change and are enabled to manage whatever comes our way by intentionally refocusing through meditation of God's message and prayer.
Consider.
As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him (Psalm 18:30, TNIV)
God's word is His message to us today.
Stop, become aware of God's presence and listen:

Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10, TNIV).

The Spirit of God leads, brings clarity, and empowers us to get through it all with wisdom, strength, and wholeness:

"I'm telling you these things while I'm still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you. Peace. I don't leave you the way you're used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don't be upset. Don't be distraught." (John 14:25-27, The Message)

So.  Refuse to settle into worry, stress, or fear.  Clear it out. There's no room for fear when we face the impossibilities of life:

“Don’t be afraid; just believe” (Mark 5:36, TNIV). 

When we choose to listen to God first, when we respond to the Message, when we refuse to be anxious or fearful, when we choose to believe even when it does not make sense, we're changed:

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. (Isaiah 40:31, AMP).

Refocus.
Respond to God first rather than to the circumstances of the day: Stop. Be still.  Listen.  Meditate. Know God.
Renew.
Receive peace.
Refuse worry, stress, and fear; don't be afraid, just believe.
React to whatever comes your way in the power of the Spirit; live above all circumstances, as an eagle lifts its wings and mounts up.
Regard the gift of the day and celebrate, no matter what.  

Learning to Kickstart the day by first responding to God,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)