Hang In There!

 bob-maclafferty  1 Response »
Sep 272015
 

hang in thereWhew! Last week at work was one of my roughest in quite a while! I know that it was a difficult one for many of my coworkers as well. It would take more than one hand to count my failures this last week.

A couple of the biggest…failing to timely recognize two of our coworkers who transferred out of our laboratory family to other opportunities that are better matches for their needs at this time.  I am so thankful to both of you for the time we were able to spend together.

When we go through difficult times, it’s easy to get distracted and forget the important things, letting the short term circumstances drag us down. It’s hard to hang in there until I remember at least these three things:

One. I am blessed and happy to be where I am because I am where I am supposed to be right now.

The very steps we take come from God; otherwise how would we know where we’re going? Proverbs 20:24 The Message

Two. I am fortunate to be surrounded by great people. From my boss, whom I trust and respect, to my fellow leaders, to my coworkers in the lab who serve with excellence and help me laugh at least once each day!

Three. I see good happening every day. Sometimes through my doing. More often, through the work of those serving alongside me. It’s far better for me to celebrate all these things than to allow a relatively small number of things change the color of the entire week.

Yes. Right place, Right people. Right things happening!

For those of you who catch me in a down moment, remind me to hang in there! If you’ve joined me by having periods of discouragement recently, hang in there! Things like this don’t define us or our success. God is not surprised by the boulders in our path. Taking a longer view reminds us that in relation to the journey, the boulders are just pebbles. Celebrate the fact that the journey is headed to the right destination!

How to Keep Discouragement Alive

 bob-maclafferty  No Responses »
Aug 012015
 

discouragementDon’t let discouragement die! When you see a colleague’s eyes start to well up with tears, frustrated about a tough day, pretend you didn’t see her.

The thirteen year old girl accidentally lets her sleeve slip up, showing signs of cutting. You look away in disgust, not wanting to appear to support such actions.

A frustrated mother and her three little ones sit in the pew next to you. She desperately tries to keep them engaged and quiet. You maintain your straightforward focus without connecting with the one six inches away.

Your boss is obviously faced with challenges on several fronts, you resist the temptation to leave an encouraging card on her desk. Keep discouragement alive!

An elderly neighbor struggles to move a dead limb off of her sidewalk. You carefully avoid eye contact because you are not dressed for limb removal.

Your pastor  works to heal divisions in the congregation through his messages. You keep your indifference intact by exiting through a side door to avoid him. You succeed in not letting discouragement die.

The hungry twelve year old boy in front of you at the fast food restaurant has trouble finding enough change to pay for his sandwich. You carefully look at the display of flashlights, trying to mask your impatience.

The error prone employee is crestfallen as she realizes she has goofed once again. You carefully keep your quality focus intact by sternly documenting the mistake and avoiding affirming the work done well.

My wife is up past midnight, struggling to finish cooking for a work party the next morning. I watch TV in another part of the house because, of course, it’s not my fault that she didn’t start earlier.

Son calls his dad after failing a difficult chemistry test. Dad carefully avoids mentioning all the other good grades because striving to improve is important.

Dad punishes his seven year old daughter for breaking a vase she was told not to touch. He sends her crying to her room, not wanting any comforting to dilute the punishment. Ahhh, discouragement is kept alive.

Yes! Successful people we are! Discouragement will NOT become an endangered species on our watch! Long live discouragement!!

Just one little hint: if you would love to fail… at keeping discouragement alive, make up another ending for each scenario above. And Oh, by the way, be on constant alert for opportunities to fail all around you today. Shhh. Don’t tell anyone. Failing at this is a blast!!

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV.

God’s antidepressant

 Uncategorized  No Responses »
Apr 192010
 

Sometimes we wonder where God is and how to get His attention. We wonder why we are sad or depressed or discouraged. People who know we are Christians wonder why we are upset and why our faith doesn’t seem to affect our lives.  David felt the same way!

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?

My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”

These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and  my God.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you…

Psalm 42

David had plenty of opportunity for depression and discouragement. He knew a secret, however. He knew that no matter the circumstances, the secret was praising God. When we praise Him, it connects us to Him in a way that allows His power to flow into us. It will change our whole day! Our Father knows that when we focus on our troubles, that is all we can see. Our attitude and the direction of our life will be dictated by that focus. He made us. He knows how we tick! He knows that if we turn our attention to Him, if we put our energy into praising Him, it will lift us up in a way that nothing else can. We become billboards for Him when we have peace and joy in our lives that is baffling to those around us.

Father, I praise you for being a living God that wants a daily connection with me! I trust you to keep it a two way connection that will allow others to see joy in me. I want others to see that being a Christian makes a daily difference in my life!  Amen.