Recently our family rented a vacation house with a front porch and I was amazed at how frequently various members of the family - young and old - gathered there. These are a few of the lessons I learned on that front porch.
1. There was a stillness there that wasn't always found inside the house. The porch swing had such a calming influence - we had time to think and to breathe. We were not focused on "doing" as much as "being". Even those with some anxieties relaxed as the swing moved.
2. Conversations came more easily in the rocking chairs. The Lord's goodness was much more likely to be discussed than the state of the world. The busyness of life stopped. We spoke to each other. Our phones often didn't come out with us.
3. We were much more likely to connect with our neighbors walking by. We looked out. People mattered. Their lives mattered. From the front porch, walks often happened.
Max Lucado talks about "thought management" in his book ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING. He says:
You can pick what you ponder...healing from
anxiety requires healthy thinking.
When we have time to ponder, our thoughts are more likely to be on the Lord and His goodness and we are much more likely to trust Him and not strive to have more control. Our pillow verse today tells us He keeps us peaceful when our thoughts are on Him. What are you thinking about today?
I resolve in 2018 to have many more "front porch" moments...to be grateful, to be content, to care about others, to not let chaos dictate my days and to "gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him..." (Psalm 27:4).
Happy New Year, sweet friends. May you have many peaceful moments in 2018!
For further study: Psalm 16:8, Psalm 27:4-5, Psalm 91:1, Proverbs 14:30, Isaiah 32:16-18, Matthew 5:9, John 16:33, Romans 5:1, Galatians 5:22-23, Philippians 4:6-9.
May you be blessed in the understanding of God's word.
Love,
Holly
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