Perspective During Uncertain Times by Chase Butler
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-and-Prophetic-Words?blogid=2093&view=post&articleid=229275&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=Chase%20Butler&fldTopic=0
By Chase Butler
This isn't the end of the world, and this isn't something to ignore. That's paraphrasing one of the better commentaries I've listened to, and as end-time "prophets" are starting to chime in, maybe it's a good reminder to examine not only the facts but our own heart in this matter. I sat on my back deck Saturday morning, observing the squirrels and birds going about their business. Jumping from tree to tree, gathering twigs for a nest, collecting food to eat—they're immune from the international worry we are surrounded by.
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This isn't the end of the world, and this isn't something to ignore. That's paraphrasing one of the better commentaries I've listened to, and as end-time "prophets" are starting to chime in, maybe it's a good reminder to examine not only the facts but our own heart in this matter.
I sat on my back deck Saturday morning, observing the squirrels and birds going about their business. Jumping from tree to tree, gathering twigs for a nest, collecting food to eat—they're immune from the international worry we are surrounded by.
"...do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"
This is a heart instruction, not a command to live without intention or practical planning. Simply not worrying won't make food magically appear, nor will a carefree attitude toward a pandemic make you immune.
But the wisdom here is what we need right now. Can you add a single hour to your life by stockpiling toilet paper and other essentials? I kid, but it's a great parallel.
Awareness and being cautious is important. Apathy is foolish. But perspective is the key and the one thing that will guard our hearts in uncertain times and lead us towards a new normal.
Chase Butler
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-and-Prophetic-Words?blogid=2093&url=10&view=post&articleid=234074&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=Chase%20Butler&fldTopic=0
There seems to be a recurring topic that continues to come up in my life—the balance between contentment and goals. Do I appreciate what I have, and am I working towards something meaningful that forces me to grow? An either/or approach never works. On one hand, you lend yourself to apathy and stagnation. On the other, you live under the tyranny of nothing ever being enough, endless striving that costs you something you never intended. I don't pretend to have this figured out. Every once in a while, I sense the alignment between the two within myself, but it's normally a fleeting moment followed by the pendulum tipping back towards one side.
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-and-Prophetic-Words?blogid=2093&url=10&view=post&articleid=233123&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=Chase%20Butler&fldTopic=0
There are moments when I long for an answer, clarity, inspiration, relief, or hope and receive nothing. Even in earnest seeking, eager anticipation, a proper posture, an open heart, a willing spirit—nothing. Then there are moments when I receive an answer, clarity, inspiration, relief, and hope when I least expect it. Not seeking, not anticipating, yet a glimpse is given. So what to conclude?
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-and-Prophetic-Words?blogid=2093&url=10&view=post&articleid=231499&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=Chase%20Butler&fldTopic=0
If the idea of selling everything and living out of a backpack on the road sounds like a nightmare instead of a grand adventure, this post might not be for you. If challenging the status quo and questioning societal norms in the pursuit of a full and satisfying life sounds intriguing, then let's continue. The beauty of friendship is that conversations tend to draw out aspects of yourself that otherwise would have been left untouched and dormant, or at the very least overlooked or ignored.
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