Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book,     Start Where You Are.    Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Yes, it does. Charles says, “Almost imperceptibly, you become a person with keener sensitivity, a broader base of understanding, and a longer fuse. Patience is a by-product of pain. So is tolerance of others and obedience to God. For lack of a better title, let’s call the whole package ‘wisdom.’ “For too many years in your life, you have operated strictly on the basis of knowledge—human absorption of facts and natural reaction to others. But affliction has now entered your life, and even though you would much prefer to have it over with, it has not ended. Difficult though it may be for you to believe, the pain you are forced to endure is reshaping and remaking you deep within. ” He goes on, “Human knowledge comes naturally, is enhanced by schooling, and enlarged by travel. But ...

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, Start Where You Are. Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) We want God to take of this virus right now!!! Charles says, “We like quick turnarounds, instant changes from sickness to health. We much prefer accounts of miracles to long, nonsensational stories of slow recoveries. In fact, we tend to grow impatient with those who can’t seem to take our advice and ‘snap out of it’ or ‘get well soon,’ like the greeting card urges (pushes?) them to do. “But like it or not, more often than not, the wise words of Hippocrates are true: ‘Healing is a matter of time.’ ” Charles goes on, “The one who needs time to heal—perhaps months or even years—often becomes the recipient of resentment. Instead of being affirmed and encouraged to press on through the pain, allowing sufficient time to get better, the sufferer encounters resentment and impatience. Uninvited advice, drippi...

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book,   Start Where You Are,   Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) It still does. Charles says, “The classic case in Scripture is Job. Here was an upright man who worked hard, dealt honestly with people, reared a fine family, and walked with his God. Then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a whirlwind of multiple tragedies drove the man to his knees. “It was bad enough to lose his livestock and all other means of income, but on top of that he lost each one of his children, and finally . . . his health. With hardly a moment between these calamities to catch his breath and gain a measure of equilibrium, Job was reduced to a painful hulk of humanity, covered from head to toe with oozing skin ulcers. “Exit: compassion.  “Enter: thoughtless counselors of blame. ” He continues, “One man after another pointed a long, bony finger into the face of th...

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book,  Start Where You Are.   Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) For some of us, maybe change is what we need. Charles says, “A man can wear out a particular part of his mind by continually using it and tiring it, just in the same ways as he can wear out the elbows of his coat. There is, however, this difference between the living cells of the brain and inanimate articles: One cannot mend the frayed elbows by rubbing the sleeves or shoulders; but the tired parts of the mind can be rested and strengthened, not merely by rest, but by using other parts. It is not enough merely to switch off the lights which play upon the main and ordinary field of interest; a new field of interest must be illuminated.” He goes on, “It is no use saying to the tired mental muscles—if one may coin such an expression—'I will give you a good rest.’ ‘I will go for a long walk,’ or ‘I ...

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, Start Where You Are.   Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) And there may be many areas in our lives where we want a fresh start. Charles says, “To get somewhere else, it’s necessary to know where you’re standing right now. “That’s true in a department store or in a big church, on a freeway or on a college campus . . . or in life, for that matter. Seldom does anybody ‘just happen’ to end up on a right road. The process of redirecting our lives is often painful, slow, and even confusing. “Occasionally, it seems unbearable. ” He goes on, “Consider Jonah, one of the most prejudiced, bigoted, openly rebellious, and spiritually insensitive prophets in Scripture. Other prophets ran to the Lord; he ran from Him. Others declared the promises of God with fervor and zeal. Not Jonah. He was about as motivated as a six-hundredpound grizzly in mid-January. “...