Vol. 19 No. 47 | November 26, 2017
You survived the week of Thanksgiving- the family gatherings and countless television commercials reminding you of the happiness you are supposed to feel when you set down at the table. Now it’s time to endure all the ads promising you the things you buy will make the holidays great. Almost every waking moment you are bombarded with advertisements, posters, commercials, Christmas movies, and musical specials, all promising this will be the best holiday season ever.
But, what if it’s not?
What if your Thanksgiving was awful…again? What if the thought of another Christmas season and listening to one more version of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” makes you want to physically choke the cashier at the department store. What if you feel lonely, sad and too tired to keep going?
I suspect some of you reading this know exactly what I am talking about, or you know someone who does. I wish I had an easy solution to make the dread and sadness go away that could be wrapped up in ‘pretty paper and ribbons of blue.’ I don’t, but I do have one simple prayer to offer that has helped me and many others struggling to keep going.
Father, please give me the desire to have the desire to try.
For the father or mother who is tired of feeling like a failure:
Father, please give him or her the desire to have the desire to try.
For the sons or daughters who feel they have disappointed their parents too many times:
Father, please give them the desire to have the desire to try.
For the couple who feels they have done everything they can do to save their marriage:
Father, please give them the desire to have the desire to try.
For the man who feels like he has messed up his life so badly, he is unworthy of God’s forgiveness:
Father, please give him the desire to have the desire to try.
For the woman who has suffered pain of abuse for so long, she wonders if she will ever know how it feels to be loved:
Father, please give her the desire to have the desire to try.
For the church leader who is weary and broken and disappointed:
Father, please give him or her the desire to have the desire to try.
For the artist who wonders if his work will ever be accepted or appreciated:
Father, please give him or her the desire to have the desire to try.
For all of you reading these words who wonder if there really is a reason to keep hoping and trying:
May these words reach you and help you have the desire to have the desire to keep hoping and trying...
Tom
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2017 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved