I was talking with my husband the other day, we were discussing the saying “the grass is always greener on the other side”. We agreed that this saying appears to have some truth to it. I know that we all go though tough times that make us long for change; usually something that looks a lot like our neighbor’s situation. It’s a real shame when we get stuck focusing on all the negatives of our situation. We have taken for granted the positive things that we have in our lives, of course it could always be better but isn’t that pessimistic thinking (the glass is half empty). We all have a tendency to be short sighted not thinking of the problems our neighbor is facing that might possibly be worse than what we’re dealing with. We can only see a snapshot of our neighbor’s lives and most of the time it’s the best pose they have to offer. As a Christian I believe that the enemy preys on this weakness of being shortsighted and can make us miserable, piling on the negative thoughts and shameless comparisons of our neighbor’s situation, and like little sheep we can fall prey to his tactics and have our peace and contentment robbed from us all the while not understanding what the heck is going on. Fear is the only real weapon the enemy has and the battle field he wages war on is our mind. We all know that when fear strikes that fight or flight steps in without conscious thought. Praise God for His Holy Spirit that clears up the confusion and helps us to resist the devil and enter God’s rest. I have learned that when I am no longer happy with my circumstances that something in me is out of balance. For me fear of failure wages war against my mind and I don’t know what is happening; misery sets in and I start brainstorming on how to fix my situation, it seems to be a knee jerk reaction. The problem arises when I try to take control of the problem as if I have the answer. I have learned to run to God and tell Him what is bothering me just like a child runs to his or her parents and are comforted and peace is restored. I have come to love Psalms 23 lately because it shows how dependent we are on God and what a great provider He is. He makes me lie down in green pastures He leads me beside still waters, I shall not lack. I like not having to strive and work my tail off for peace. All I have to do is submit to Him, tell Him my needs and He takes care of it. As a woman this strikes a major cord with me because I want safety and security to be cherished and cared for.

Holly