Hi First Presbyterian,
I’m staring out my window as the snow is falling today. I’m sure many of you are shrugging your shoulders and saying to yourselves, “This is what springtime in Rochester is like.” For me, I can’t help but recall a line I read as a child from C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, where one of the characters describes an evil spell placed on the land of Narnia that makes it “always winter but never Christmas.”
Here we are in the middle of Spring, and it’s snowing. The scene outside my window looks a lot like when it was Winter. The image of the snow falling is trying to trick my brain into thinking it’s actually Winter, instead of Spring. The rational part of my brain knows that it’s April 21 and that it’ll feel like Spring again in just a few days. But another part of my brain is thinking it’s Winter, which is probably why I’m craving a cup of hot chocolate right now!
Stress in life can feel like that sometimes. We could be in a very good season in life, in good health, in good relationships with those we love, and finding fulfillment in our work or hobbies. Then along comes some external stress or other disruption and our brain immediately forgets about all of the good things happening and amplifies the bad thing. Even if it’s not true, all we can hear inside our heads is the voice shouting, “Everything is falling apart!”
In my own life, I’m trying to learn this lesson, and one thing I find helpful is gratitude. If I consciously bring to mind all the good things happening to me, then it starts to put the stress of life into perspective until it doesn’t seem so big. Sometimes I even write down on a piece of paper all the things happening, whether good or bad, so that I can see a total picture of my life. Then I give thanks to God for all that is good in my life.
One of my favorite passages of scripture is Philippians 4:8: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Whether you’re experiencing stress or anxiety in your life today or just noticing the snow falling outside, take a deep breath and remember: it is still Spring, and soon you’ll know that that’s true. Until then, remind yourself that those beautiful daffodils are still blossoming under all that snow. The same is true of life.
Peace be with you,
Pastor Neff