Recovery and Restoration: Don't Stay Green!

My little two-year-old grandson is just learning about his colors. The problem is he thinks every color is called "green."

And that of course is normal for someone his age.

However, it's easy for us to think that our lives are only the one color of our struggle. It defines us, runs our lives every day and is what we think about most of the time. And yes, some challenges are pretty life defining. We have a right to say, "If I didn't have this illness (or family struggle or loss), my life would be defined very differently."

But the color of our world doesn't only have to reflect our struggle or the personal mountain we're climbing. If we're going to get better, get healthy or at least make progress on our journey we have to give ourselves permission to think about and live for something else.

While our climb may feel like it dominates our lives these days, it doesn't have the right to own us. Let me suggest a couple of ways to get in touch with that truth.

First, look for ways to help other people and not focus on yourself.  You might be able to offer comfort or encouragement to someone behind you on the path of your climb. Or you can consider just serving in a totally unrelated way. Whatever you choose invest in someone else.  It will color your world in some new and meaningful ways.

Second, be intentionally thankful.  There is always someone hurting more than you. And there are always things we can be thankful for even in the worst of times.  Make a list now and then or pull your family together and just call out some ways you all can thank God for His blessings to you.  An "attitude of gratitude" can change us in dramatic ways.

Third, make a list of ten things you've always wanted to do.  And then pick one or two that you'll try this year. Get out of your "greenness" and put some new color, new excitement, new challenges into your life that have little to do with your mountain or struggle.  Sometimes just a chance of pace and location make huge differences in our perspective.

As Kermit the Frog used to say, "It's not easy being green."  And I would add, "It's not fun being the same color all the time."  Turn up the color in your world.