Posts Tagged ‘Learning Optimism’
Necessarily Negative
Was Jesus an optimist or a pessimist?
Surely He was an optimist, right? After all… isn’t that the more “desirable” of the two possibilities? Being God and all, He must have been whatever is considered superior. Our American culture values the extravert and the optimist. And there’s a Christian sub-culture that teaches that all Christians should be optimists. (“Because of the hope that we have…”)
But I don’t think so. Rather, I contend that Jesus was the one and only person who could be a dead-center realist. Read More
Whatsoever things are true /troo/
Some say truth is relative.
I’m counting on them being wrong. If it’s relative, then not only is my salvation in jeopardy, but my mental state is, too.
My theme verse for this series is Philippians 4:8:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,think on these things. — Philippians 4:8 ASV (emphasis added) Read More
Borrowed Glasses: Finding my inner optimist
“Not working!!!!”
This was the scream I’d hear too often from some remote part of the house. It was the battle cry of my youngest daughter, whenever something wasn’t going her way. A short, but fierce, exclamation.
It originated when she was learning to tie her shoelaces. But it soon began to apply to anything… opening packages of food, art projects (it’s hard when your vision doesn’t play out on paper!), and even interacting with her siblings. At thirteen, it’s now become a family joke, used universally for anything that’s not going as planned. But I assure you: it wasn’t always funny. Quite the contrary.
This little darling of mine always has a reason why she can’t, won’t, shouldn’t, didn’t or isn’t something-ing. Peer relationships, classroom work, athletic performance, sibling interaction, and parental obedience. There have been many (many!) days when I’ve wracked my brain, wondering why it’s so hard to walk her through those moments. And then one day, my husband says this to me: Read More
Or….
Sometimes you just need someone else to see it for you.
Pessimists need optimists. (And I’m thinking the converse is true, too… more on that later.) I need the optimists in my life as counterbalance to my natural pessimism. In many ways, I think this is the ministry of the Body: that what my eyes don’t naturally see, another’s do. Twice in the last couple of weeks I’ve been the beneficiary of my friends’ perspectives:
- Pessimist (me): “I’m a little bummed. Only thirty ladies signed up for my Bible study. About 50 signed up for the other one currently being offered.” (Subtext: they must not like me.)
- Optimist (Julie): “Or, you could rejoice that 80 women are studying the Bible this fall…” Read More
Let’s do lunch
I pack school lunches every. single. morning.
And I have for nearly ten years now. Last week, as I stood in my kitchen, staring down at the empty lunch boxes on my kitchen counter, I got a little grumpy about having to do it again. “I’m so over making lunches.” But, I cobbled together a collection of leftovers, juice pouches, baby carrots and the cursory apple and sent my people on their way.
Just a couple hours later, I stood at the stainless gates that are my refrigerator and bemoaned that there was nothing I’d like to eat. Nevertheless, I rummaged through and found something to throw in my gullet. Read More