Choosing to hope for the good

The forecast wasn’t good this morning when I woke up. The chance of rain was high, the skies here at home were dark.

But I love to walk at the beach, and I decided to take a chance and drive down there - even if it meant I only had the opportunity to walk for a short time.

When I arrived, I took these two photos - while standing in the exact same spot.

I then walked for over an hour on the sand, and not one drop of rain fell.

Walking north, this was my view.

Walking south, this was my view.

The sky didn’t change between photos. What changed was my perspective, my focus, where I chose to look.

Isn’t this often how life is? Where I look determines what I see. My circumstances in life haven’t changed, but where I decide to focus my thoughts can change everything.

I can choose to believe the best.

I can choose to see the beauty around me.

I can choose to hope.

I can choose to praise.

I can choose gratitude.

One translation of Proverbs 4:23 puts it this way:

“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.”

Before surgery I shared with friends that based on all that I had read, roughly 6 weeks after surgery, after I had physically healed, I would probably start to experience some depression.

And this week, I can see that is true. The battle of the mind is real. I am daily having to choose to focus on what is good and true and worthy of praise.

So for those of you who are asking how to specifically pray for me, this is my request:

Pray that I will continue to choose to rest in Hope and believe that His ways are good - even when the rain starts to fall.