Back in 1984, I remembering liking My Ever Changing Moods by the Style Council. I was pleased that someone else was caught up in the whirlwind of their ever changing moods – like I was 😀.
Even in recent days, I’m quite fascinated by how the weather affect my mood. I don’t see any great problem with negative thoughts, but perhaps they can become excessive at times. But we shouldn’t necessarily believe them. It’s good to distance yourself from them, or at least attempt to. Just sit there and see positive, negative, and neutral thoughts float by like balloons. And another approach is to list them, list the opposite, that is, an extremely positive alternative perspective, and then list something more realistic that’s probably somewhere in between.
For example, as I grow older, I sometimes wonder about my health. I can think of the worse that might happen, the best, and something in between. And I’m inspired by how others have coped with the difficulties of ageing. Here’s my opportunity to face the final challenge. It might be another 30 years or it could be tomorrow. Health issues can affect you at any age. But I’ll be free of suffering for eternity. I see this life as a little boot camp, a testing ground. And I hope and pray that I’ll do well in facing the challenges before me.
I think of the words of the Apostle Paul as he faced his final days – and he suffered much more than I ever will:
1 Timothy 4:6-8
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Paul always emphasized that salvation if a gift that we receive by faith. It’s not something that you need to earn. Yet, God doesn’t teleport you directly to heaven when you believe. You are asked to stay down here for a while and live for Him and model yourself on Jesus. I don’t think any of us will ever be 100% successful in that, but the very fact that we want to love God and others and rely on God’s mercy for our shortcomings pleases God. And trials can draw us closer to God.
James 1:2-4
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
I remember an old hymn – I Wish I Had Given Him More – someone contemplating meeting Jesus in Heaven and thinking that He wished He had brought more glory to Him while on earth:
And here are some other hymns about facing trials in this life:
Hibernia Gospel 