you're upside down, stupid

It never fails to blow my mind when I see how much reprogramming our minds need. The things that seem good in life are on my list of things to convince myself to avoid. And the things that bring me pain or I’d much rather avoid are the same ones I’m supposed to wring joy and beauty out of.

Romans 5 I used to repeat as a mantra of where I need to be. I pasted it and its variants all over my desk in efforts to lure myself back out of “moods.” It’s another example of the radical gospel.

We continue to shout our praise, even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.

Pain means good.

The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ – eternal and glorious plans they are! – will have you put together and on your feet for good.

Alternate version: After you’ve suffered for awhile, he himself will mend that which was broken.

Suffering is okay. Broken is okay.

I’m still getting used to this idea that I was born upside down with these things called instincts that don’t come oriented properly. It takes a whole life time to get them recalibrated. (And calibration is painful. But pain is okay.)

Chocolate seems good. But chocolate equals calories. Calories are bad.

Friends are great. But fuel costs are not.

Having happy churches with happy praisers is a blessing. But ignoring the sheep outside the fold is wrong.

Scars are ugly. But they indicate healing.

Waiting is frustrating. But necessary.

Death is terrible. But death leads to life.

Writing is good. But saying everything that comes to your mind is not.

Does the standard-issue brain come miswired? Or was a result of the fall a blown fuse in Adam's head that we're all lucky enough to acquire through genetics?

Miswiring is good!

A caveat to some of these things is moderation... "too much of a good thing." But still...

We learn some lessons so many times, don't we?