DAY 18: Taste Anything?

There are so may parts of life that are sweet, but in the midst of all the sweetness are also moments of fatigue, grief, hurt, and frustration that make another taste be at the back of our taste buds and overwhelm us--BITTERNESS. Despite the sweet, it's so easy to allow bitterness to be what governs us. There's so much that I could say about it. I could tell you about the times when I've been angry or resentful  or wronged and allowed that to dissipate into bitterness. However, in the end, if you are reading this, then you are grown and I don't have to convince you that bitterness is real. In fact, the person/people this is for today need me to get to the point. So you want to know what to do about bitterness? Ready? Are you listening? Stop.....it.

I know you're hurt and I'm sorry that you've had to experience that betrayal, sting, slap, yuckiness... But no you don't deserve what you think you deserve. Things shouldn't have gone a different way. Because, if you're anything like me, then you must take a minute and reflect on the times when you were bitter that life didn't go your way and then, later, caught a 20/20 hindsight view and could say that things were for the best. Today's point deserves no soft-shoe entry to help us stop the impact of bitterness. At some point, you just have to decide that God knows best. At some point, you just have to be ready to trust Him. At some point, you have to be willing to let it go and simply STOP reminiscing on the place of your bitterness--stop telling the story to anyone who will listen, stop writing Facebook statuses alluding to it, stop writing about it in your journal, stop spending precious brain space breath and emotional energy on the story of your woe. The moment it begins to come off the tip of your tongue replace it with "STOP IT Satan because I know that ALL things work together for the good of those who are the called according to his purpose and that means ME." (Romans 8:28) Yes, that means you. YOU are "the called". You have to stop bitterness in it's tracks and not allow it to continue to taint the sweetness that is life.

No...things aren't perfect and there is pain in life. But there is life. And when you look at the alternative, can't you find anything to be grateful for? I know I can. So today, I just want to challenge you more than encourage you to actively resist the temptation to focus on what makes things bitter over what makes things sweet and I'd love to hear what happens when you do because even if you're doubtful, I'm expecting God to do some miraculous things in your heart.

Consider yourself challenged.

Blessings,
Pastor Andrea