Holiday Blues?

After the Holidays usually comes the blues.  The parties are over, the presents have been given out, and the decorations are down; now come the bills. Sometimes, we let some go for the season, but sooner or later they will come due.

For some of us this is overwhelming.  You don’t know which way to turn.  You swore that this year would be different…and yet it is only worse.  Now, let’s add in the cost of the up coming racing season.  Not only the improvements that we promised ourselves we were going to do this year, but the ever changing cost of fuel to get to the track.  Truly, “In this world you will have trouble.” This is from John 16:33.  But just so we don’t take this out of context, let’s look at the remaining part of this verse: “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  Jesus was encouraging us, as the first part of the verse reads, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.”

You see, the world after the fall of man (which took place in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3) is so constituted that trouble and frustration will come to people who seek to follow God.  Jesus has warned us that troubles will come when we are faithful to Him.  God did not create the world’s troubles.  He made us free to respond to Him.  In our freedom, we sometimes make the wrong choices or we experience the consequences of the wrong choices of others, which brings trouble and frustration to the world.

Christ has overcome the troubled world. Truly, He is the reason for the season.  If you are looking for a simple answer to your troubles, then let me tell you that there are none but as we go through them the Lord wants to be by our side.  That way we will have someone to lean on; a shoulder to cry on. We will have someone to tell all of our problems to who is really concerned and would love to lead you in the right direction in every area of your life that you are willing to give over to Him.

Let’s turn the blues into bright sunshine.  God has provided us a way of escape.  He is an ever present help in time of need.  Cast all your cares on Him for He careth for you.  God loves us.  Love is the most basic word we have concerning what God is like.  Because He loves, we can trust Him with anything that worries us. We are not alone. We matter to God, and He can bear our troubles with more insight than we. Once our worries and troubles are deposited with God, we leave them there allowing Him to deal with them and give us the insight and the answers that we need.  Let God lead you this year in all you do.

                                                Chaplain Dan