Lost and Finding Joy

One of my favorite songs is, Grandpa, by The Judds, which was released in 1986. One of the lines in the song says:

Grandpa, tell me ’bout the good ole days…when the line between right and wrong, didn’t seem so hazy.

Today the line between right and wrong is not only hazy, but, right is wrong and wrong is right — according to society. What are we witnessing? It looks pretty scary sometimes: The division. The evil. The perversion. The destruction.

Some people handle the negative changes by reminiscing or living in the past. Some people handle the changes by dreaming of a better future. The only problem with both of those options is the past is over and we aren’t guaranteed a future. None of us know how long we have here.

If we could see what God sees, we would know that He is going right along with His work, and that we are a part of that work. God is not causing the bad things to happen. He is allowing us to live our lives with free agency. Darkness (or evil) happens when we move away from light (or God). Everything we go through — all the trials, the grief, the loss, the pain — all the things we experience, are all part of our personal growth. It’s no accident that we are all here at this moment, experiencing the things we are experiencing. There is nothing we could go through, that God doesn’t know or understand.

Life can be difficult at times, and very painful. The good news is, no matter what the circumstance, we can have peace in the storm. It’s not our whole book. It’s just a blink in eternity. In this moment, we can choose to move away from darkness and back into the light. The house that was built on the land of circumstances, can be rebuilt upon the Rock.

No matter how hazy the line between right and wrong gets, it’s about what we do with our time while we are here. It’s the simple things that count. It could be a kind word to someone or a smile. It could be a simple gesture like holding the door for someone, or taking their shopping cart back for them.

What is right? There is one thing that is constant and never changes — Authentic love — the unconditional, pure love from God — no matter what anyone says– that kind of love is always right.