Positive Not Negative

For 20+ years, I served as a pastor. During those years, I learned a lot. I also failed more times than I would like to admit. At times, I focused far more on the times I failed than on the times I didn't. That always seemed to be true on Monday mornings, as I re-evaluated the previous day's sermons.

Maybe that is how I am wired, I'm not sure why I beat myself up like that.

It could have been that those negative attitudes were also imposed upon me by others. I will admit that often pastors are viewed so differently than others in the local church. There seems to be a higher standard for pastors--and maybe that is justified as well. Everything from his words, to how he dresses, to his family, to even the car he drives, is noticed and commented upon.

A little over 6 1/2 years ago, I changed jobs. Now, I serve as an editor for a Christian publishing company in Birmingham, Alabama. Even in this job, there is a danger of being focused on the negative, rather than on the positive aspects. There's always another deadline to meet, another writer who needs help, another layout to look at. There are meetings, phone calls to make, and emails to return. Those are all normal parts of the day. Much of it is good, some of it isn't. Just being honest here.

I suppose there can be either negative or positive in just about everything we do. It really does come down to how we approach life and the things that come our way. Are we going to see the glass as half full or half empty? Are we going to rejoice in the rain or complain how damp it is? Are we going to celebrate life or fear the unknown?

Some time back I made a decision about life and the attitude I face it with. That decision led to the title of this blog--All Toes in the Water. I made the simple choice to jump into life, fully, with no hesitation about what may come. I'm tired of being hesitant. I'm tired of weighing all of the options. I'm really tired of wasting time worrying about what may or may not come! I'm tired of worrying about what people think about me or may say about me.

From this point forward, I'm going to celebrate life and do more to see the positive in it! I'm going to do more to celebrate what God has done in my life, how He changed me, and how He brought me to this point in my life. The journey has been interesting, to say the least. But, no matter the twists and turns I've seen along the way, God has never failed me, not even once!

Have I failed Him? Sure and I admitted that in the first paragraph. But, never has He failed me.

So, what should I fear about tomorrow, or next week, or next year? Absolutely nothing! God has proven His faithfulness time after time. For that reason, I have no reason to fear what is yet to come!

Let's start a new pattern in the blogging world. Let's put aside much of the debating and arguing and dare I say mean-spirited comments we find--even among Christians, and especially pastors.

Will you join me? Let's start a revolution! A positive revolution! A new attitude revolution!

It can be done!