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We are living in times more financially
difficult than anyone under the age of 70 or
so can probably remember. It seems every
week we hear about another company going out
of business or laying off thousands of
workers. Upwards of 25 percent of U.S.
homeowners are “upside down” on their
mortgages—meaning they owe more than the
house is worth. Our lives feel uncertain.
Anxiety has become normal.
Ordinarily, I’m an optimist. I see the
glass half full, or even three-quarters
full. Of course, I married a guy who sees it
half empty. Or maybe three quarters empty.
If you are like him, or you live with
someone like him, these are tough times.
This is a man who on our vacation complained
it was too sunny. He works as a realtor—a
profession hard-hit by this economy. But the
other day he complained about the federal
program that will offer first time buyers
$15,000 in tax incentives. Why? Because
those people will be buying low-priced
homes, which means lower commissions. Never
mind that they otherwise would not have
bought any homes at all. Like I said, his
outlook is normally a bit dismal. The
current economy (especially the way things
are going in real estate) has pushed him
into the pit of despair.
Perhaps you are there, too. You’re
worried, and upset. Or someone you love is.
I can’t deny that the economy is
suffering. That people are facing enormous
challenges. Our family has taken a financial
hit, just like others. Our kids’ college
fund, invested in mutual funds, is worth
about half what it was a few years ago—and
our daughter is just three years and a half
years from starting college. My realtor
husband has been virtually unemployed for
several months.
And yet… I love that word—yet. And yet,
we have so much to be thankful for. Even in
the struggles, God is there. You cannot
change your circumstances, but you can
change the way that you think about them. If
there were ever a time that we need to think
positively, this is it. Gloom and despair
get us nowhere. When we focus on the
obstacles in our way, we lose heart. We get
stuck.
I love this verse from Paul’s letter to
the church at Corinth: “We are hard pressed
on every side, but not crushed; perplexed,
but not in despair; persecuted, but not
abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
(2 Corinthians 4:8,9).
In other words, Paul seems to be saying,
we will survive. It could be worse. Our
faith is not contingent upon our
circumstances. We struggle, but we’re still
here, fighting. And a few verses later, he
notes, “Therefore we do not lose heart.”
Despite the troubled times, I am still an
optimist. I choose to be. I affirm my faith
by praying, even when the light seems dim. I
think that choice will help me weather these
tough times. Rather than retreat in the face
of difficulties, we can choose to have
faith, and act on that faith.
How are you feeling these days?
Perplexed? Hard pressed? Don’t lose heart.
Instead, nurture your heart. How? Begin by
noticing the blessings that abound in your
life, and thanking God for them. Do what you
can, instead of focusing on what you can’t.
It’s never true when we cry “there’s nothing
I can do!” because we can always pray, and
that’s quite a lot. We can choose joy,
choose gratitude, and that’s more than
enough. Joy is not something that depends on
our situation. Rather it depends on our
attitude.
It may feel silly, but for the next week,
find three things to be grateful for each
day. When you do the laundry, be grateful
for hot running water. When you walk to the
mailbox to get all those bills, thank God
you can walk. If you can’t walk, be glad you
can breathe. I’m sure most of you can do
more than just breathe. But if it’s all you
can do, do it with a grateful heart.
This evening after dinner I sat in the
living room reading. My daughter read on the
couch. She sipped hot chocolate, I drank
herbal tea. The dog lay on the floor. Our
home was peaceful. In the quiet, I
thought—thank you, God. I just appreciated
that moment. It brought me joy, in a quiet,
simple way.
If gratitude is too much for you, start
with something simpler: just listen to
yourself. Are the comments you make on life
mostly negative or positive? Not sure? Ask
your spouse or an honest friend. Life has
its disappointments, of course. Do we dwell
on those, or focus on what’s good?
The recession is the result of myriad
complex factors. In such times, analysts
talk a lot about is “consumer confidence” or
lack thereof. Before people will actually
spend money, they have to have confidence
that things will be alright. In other words,
their perception of how things are
affects how things actually are.
I think the same is true for all of us.
The first step to changing our circumstances
is changing our thinking.
God is with you in these difficult times.
Believing that is the first step to getting
through them. Then, thank him—for his loving
presence, for all the blessings in your
life. Two simple steps, faith and gratitude,
move us toward positive thinking, and
positive actions.
Book Reviews
 Prayer:
Finding the Heart’s True Home
By Richard Foster
HarperOne
Retail Price: $23.95
Amazon Price: $16.29
Since fall I have been slowly reading
through Richard Foster’s book Prayer:
Finding the Heart’s True Home. My friend
Pam Orr has been teaching a class on this
book at Willow, and I’ve occasionally gone
in to guest teach (as I will this week).
I’ve also tried to offer her a bit of
encouragement and coaching as she teaches.
This is a classic book on prayer, with
short chapters on twenty-one different kinds
of prayer. Alongside the expected
“Intercessory Prayer” and “Prayer of
Adoration” you’ll find some less familiar
ones, like “The Prayer of Relinquishment”
and “The Prayer of the Forsaken.”
Foster combines wisdom and anecdotes to
teach us how to pray, which really is the
antidote for anxiety. In prayer, we
experience the love of God, perfect love
which casts out all fear. We enjoy the
intimacy with God that prayer brings. In
these anxious times, prayer is no longer
optional. To even engage in prayer, we have
to affirm that God exists and that he hears
us. When we pray even if we doubt, we dispel
those doubts.
If you are feeling anxious, consider
spending more time in prayer, and using this
gentle, helpful book as a guide.
Quotable Quote
“For in the day of trouble he will keep
me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in
the shelter of his tabernacle and set me
high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:5)
Deeper Connection
Are the comments you make on life mostly
negative or positive? Do you tend to see the
glass half empty or half full? If you have a
tendency toward pessimism, where did you
pick that up? Did the family you grew up in
foster that? What can you do to begin to
notice life’s blessings?
Connecting with Keri:
Keri will be leading a one-day retreat on
“Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your
Life” for the Village Church of Barrington
on Saturday, March 7, at the church, 1600
Main St., Barrington, IL.
Keri will be speaking at the Northwest
Christian Women’s Conference, in Stanwood,
WA, April 17-19, on “Rest: Living in Sabbath
Simplicity.”
Check out Keri’s blog, Deep Breathing for
the Soul, at
www.keriwyattkent.com/soul/
You can read Keri’s latest musings on the
connection between faith and real life, you
can post a question about any of her books
or other writings.
Keri is on Facebook and Twitter! Friend
her, follow her, send her a message there.
As always, Keri’s monthly “For Your Soul”
column can be found on the Today’s
Children’s Ministry website. Check it out at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/childrensministry/features/foryoursoul.html
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