I think it is safe to assume that this past year we all have had moments when life isn’t showing up how we would like. It’s also safe to assume it feels like more than just moments! Whatever I am struggling with, how I choose to look at the moments ultimately determines how I live my life. Our life is precious. A gift from God. Living in gratitude and surrendering our struggles to God are the foundation of creating moments of joy. I know it is easy to focus on what is going wrong, especially when those things going wrong are the biggest parts of our moments. I have found the most powerful way to fight the negative perspective of life is to first show up. Show up with a goal to not focus on what is going wrong but focus on what is going right. Show up and shift your perspective. How I perceive my life becomes my reality. How I see things becomes my truth. What is your reality? What is your truth? Many of us have struggled with health and possibly the loss of a loved one this past year. Let me remind you, if you are still here on earth, you have a purpose to fulfill. If you lost a loved one, remember to see the blessing of having them in your life for the time you did, and the blessing of being reunited with them in eternity. I may be tired of being confined to home, of not getting to connect in person with those I love. I can shift my perspective by being grateful for the technology that brings us together as if we were living next door. People will respond to us based on the attitude and perspective we bring to this life. The attitude and perspective that we bring to each new day will create the experience of our moments and ultimately the moments of those we come in contact with. I have learned to appreciate the simplicity of my moments. That being thankful in everything is more important than being thankful for something.
The first step is to show up and ask the One who gives us everything to help us see everything the way He sees everything.
I pray that God will help me make that choice. I ask Him to open my eyes to see the blessing in the midst of the rubble. I ask Him to change my heart. To change my vision. To create the desire in me to be joyful when I want to close my eyes to all that surrounds me. I surrender my moments to the one who has the ultimate plan for my life. With love and joy, Laura Pedersen