Pastoral Ponderings—Dreary

Pastoral Ponderings—Dreary

“’Tis the season to be … dreary?”—not quite how the song generally goes, but it certainly could be an appropriate song hereabouts for this time of year. Someone I was talking with recently we bemoaning the weather, and I quipped back, “We’ll likely get to see the sun again around the middle of March…” For some strange reason, she didn’t find my response very helpful.

Sometimes it’s more than just the weather that feels dreary in our lives—whether your life situation, an illness, depression, current events or whatever. I was feeling a bit of that on one of the more dreary days recently when I took the attached picture, with the intent of the reminder that the sun will shine again, and that poem I recently mentioned floating through my head—“I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining, I believe in love even when no one is there, I believe in God even when He is silent…”

I’ve been in an airplane more than enough not to doubt that the sun still shines, when, on dreary days like that, taking off and climbing in altitude until all of a sudden we break through into the brightest of sunshine. The sun does still shine—even if to say so is a statement of a faltering faith.

Thanksgiving reminds us that it is in GIVING thanks—not in “feeling” thanks—that we find the blessings! (Besides, a holiday called “Thanks-FEELING” just doesn’t have much of a ring to it!). Have you noticed how much it lifts your own spirits when you deliver a smile or laugh to someone else who needs it too? Give it a try if you haven’t lately!

Find someone to bless this Thanksgiving, and find yourself even more blessed! After all, the sun IS still shining, even when we don’t see it, and it always starts to shine through the clouds when you help others see it too. Let your little light shine!—Pastor Jim

PS—Though we’re still eager to clearly discern and share the kind of vision that helps us better share with others, we’ve not had any takers on the leadership retreat, so we’ll need to pray, discern, and talk more about it among ourselves—which we can continue both in informal conversation, as well as in our times together, so keep on praying!

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