
2 Chronicles 7:14

It usually starts with a thought. The thought flies through my brain so fast, I cannot even tell you what it was. A few minutes later, another one comes; it lingers a bit and I focus on it. The thought usually starts with some form of “You don’t, You can’t or You aren’t.” The thoughts keep coming and if I dwell on them; I begin to feel discontented with my life.
The negative feelings usually follow the negative thoughts. If I allow myself to think and feel them for any length of time; I begin walking in the Desert of Discontentment. I don’t go there very often, but when I do, I begin to think about my life choices. What if I had made different choices? What would my life be like? Would it be better? If I let my mind go down that path for any length of time, I walk even further into the Desert of Discontentment.
Usually after about an hour of walking in the Desert of Discontentment, I start to look around. It is dry and hot in the desert and very little vegetation grows there. I find myself unhappy and I don’t want to stay there any longer. I turn around and head back the way I came. I look for a landmark to guide me back and then I finally see it.
On the edge of the desert, there is a small hill named Gratitude. If I keep my eyes on the hill, I can find my way out. With each step, I think about what I am grateful for: my home, my family, my health and a hundred little things I quit being thankful for the moment I stepped into the desert.
My hike out usually takes less time than my hike in did. After a few moments of focusing on the things I am grateful for, my discontentment begins to leave. I can see my life and my circumstances from a more positive perspective and I can find my way back from the Desert of Discontentment. And I am always truly grateful for that.
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thess. 5:18 NKJV
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THE NARRATIVE
Image by Gerd Altman, Courtesty of Pixabay. Snippets of stories taken from LifesiteNews.com, July 3, 2020. Definition of Polyamory taken from Google.com.
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Where I used to live in Oregon, there was a ranch about fifty miles north that had a herd of buffalo (bison). They advertised hunts and people from around the world would come there to shoot buffalo. After they shot them, they would take home the head, cape and whatever other parts of the animal they wanted to. When they returned home, I’m sure they told their friends about it and their friends were probably wowed. “Way to go,” they probably exclaimed.
The only problem with this scenario is that buffalo are like cattle. They stand in the field and stare at you. A person can walk up to them and easily shoot them from fifty or a hundred yards. They will not even move…there is no sportsmanship required at all for the hunt.
It reminds me of the politicians today who stand with the violent mob and say it is okay to loot, deface property and burn down buildings. They think it is okay to topple statues instead of letting the people of their cities and states make an informed decision on the matter. They go along with the crowd when the crowd says, “Defund the Police!” I even heard one political operative say yesterday that social workers should be sent into domestic disturbances instead of the police. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
The only problem with this scenario is that the elected officials who say those things are only standing with the violent mob. It takes no courage whatsoever to agree and placate those voices that want to enact change by violent methods. As a mother of a former police officer, I know firsthand that the most dangerous call a policeman can respond to is one involving domestic violence. Really, send in a social worker to deescalate the situation? When I hear this lunacy coming from our elected officials, I just shake my head. Doesn’t anyone remember the French Revolution? No one was safe, not even the people that agreed with the violent mob. The mob eventually came for them also. So when our elected officials are praised by their likeminded peers and are admired for their stands condoning the violence, remember they are just shooting buffalo. No skill, wisdom or courage required!