What a Title?

 "However painful or difficult, or, on the other hand, however inconspicuous or humdrum, life may be, the Christian finds his peace in accepting and playing his part in the master plan."

 J. B. Phillips, 1906-1982

 

A graphic I created many years ago with the help of Karla Dornacher's art.

 

 A good title catches your eye. A good song lyric stays in your head. A good caption speaks volumes.

And that's what happen to me as I was reading through issues of Home Life and Mature Living magazines. "What if this is as Good as it Gets?" caught my eye, as well as "When the Rain Falls . . . Things Begin to Grow."

Now that's a good looking boy!

As a writer I was trained to create catchy titles because that's what draws the eye. Some of the titles I've created and had published are: "Are you Afraid of a Divorced Person?" "A Life Changing Truck" "My Melody of Words" "Out of Tune" and "Is The Answer Reverence." Titles get you thinking, and that's just what I did when I read those two titles!

"What if this is as good as it gets? . . . Are you okay with that?" Me. My personal life. Here we are Thanksgiving week - the time to give thanks for God's blessings. Am I truly thankful for my life and all the joy and sadness I've been through? Wow. That's a doozy of a question.

The truth is, we all have our stories of life, the joys, the disappointments, the weaknesses. There's always something we wish could be rewritten to have a happier ending. Many times I voice David's words in Psalm 55:6: "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest" and forget all my cares.

Mr. Dove trying to stay warm as winter begins its reign!

Accepting all that has happened to me doesn't mean I like everything, or that I'm happy about everything. It means I've accepted my life and trust God. Whether it's good or bad, God picks up the pieces and continues to work. He continues to work. Let me say that again. He continues to work. Thankfully, He continues to work.

All that my life is, God has provided and directed, and I trust Him to bring me safely home to Him.

"When the Rain Falls . . . Things Begin to Grow." When I accept God's control over all the things that happen in my life, patience grows, understanding grows, humility grows, compassion grows, acceptance grows. Of course, if I don't accept God's control, bitterness grows, anger grows, indifference grows, hate grows, dissatisfaction grows.

A covered bridge I enjoyed seeing one year in Vermont.

Life sure is a journey. As I age, accepting God's control in my life and letting Him work gets easier. It sure helps my day-to-day living when I accept His way. But, I'm not perfect yet and still have a ways to go before my growing season is up.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order,
and confusion into clarity. It turns a meal into a feast,
a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense out of our past,
brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

 Melody  Beattie

I believe I have accepted the course of my life, definitely not liking everything, but I can say: "Yes, I'm okay with it as long as God is in control."  Farther down in Psalm 55, my heart is expressed completely: "But as for me, I trust in you." And that's definitely a reason to celebrate this Thanksgiving!

Late fall scenery.

Two little titles brought quite a discussion in my mind. What about you? What if this is as good as it gets? Are you okay with it? I think it's worth your time to consider as you prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas.

God is the giver of all good things. "Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together."

 

                                                                                                                                                       Graphic ownership unknown