Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Living God outside on the front porch in the wee hours and I savored the surprise of a warm morning on this Thanksgiving eve. It’s not “supposed to be” this warm in Virginia in November, but God doesn’t pay attention to what’s “supposed to be”. As I gave thanks for this unusually warm day, I thought about how much disappointment and heartache we bring on ourselves by painting our own picture of what’s “supposed to be” in life. The Bible is filled with instructions on how we are to live, and how we are to love, and how we are to diligently work out our Purpose while we’re here on earth. But when it comes down to the condition of life or the circumstances we face; the idea of the way it’s “supposed to be” comes down to what we believe and not what God has planned for us. Outside of walking the Walk and talking the Talk we don’t have a lot of say-so in the way things are “supposed to be”. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

As we head into the holiday season there will be enough heartache floating around to sink-a-ship because of the picture we paint of the way things are “supposed to be” but aren’t. Our minds go into Hallmark-card-mode and if we’re not careful; we convince ourselves that everybody else is living life the way it’s “supposed to be” and somehow we’ve been left out. T.V. advertisers will turn-up-the-heat as they prey on lonely singles over the way things are “supposed to be”; and millions of lonely singles with jump on board because of it. But when the new year rolls around and we leave the holidays behind, the attempt to snag the lonely gets pretty quiet UNTIL the next holiday rolls around and singles begin to rerun the tape all over again of the way things are “supposed to be”. I’m confident that while some are pining away over no relationship, others are crying themselves to sleep over a “bad” relationship, and they’d probably switch places with the single ones in a heartbeat because of the way they believe it’s “supposed to be too”. How is it “supposed to be” when it comes to the Living God?

Sometimes the holiday season is lean-and-mean and sometimes there isn’t enough money for a Thanksgiving feast or for presents to be under the Christmas tree the way it’s “supposed to be”. Depression can so easily set in as we dwell on what we don’t have instead of what we do have, all because of the picture we’ve painted in our own minds of the way it’s “supposed to be”. Our minds go into Hallmark-card-mode and we convince ourselves that “good” holidays are “supposed to be” filled with feasts and treasures and every single family member or loved one we’ve ever known. But life doesn’t always work out the way we believe it’s “supposed to be”. I’m confident that every single parent who has lost a child would trade every turkey leg and every present under the tree for the rest of their lives for just one more day with the one they loved and “lost”. God doesn’t “take” a life to torture loved ones, He takes a Life when it’s time for their Next Chapter even though it doesn’t feel like that’s the way it’s “supposed to be”. How is it “supposed to be” when it comes to the Living God?

There’s not a whole lot that I can do to change my life into what I believe it’s “supposed to be”, so I work hard on my Faith to find my contentment in the way things are instead. I serve a God that loves me, and who gave the Ultimate Gift for me so that I might spend Eternity the way it’s “supposed to be” for all who Believe. I never lose sight of that fact when I’m tempted to paint of picture in my own mind of the way things are “supposed to be” for me. I know that it’s not possible to comprehend the mind of my God or to fully understand His Plans for me…but I know that He has a Plan and I know that it’s Good. So, I keep doing my part. I keep living and I keep giving. I keep growing and I keep learning. I keep sharing and I keep praying and I’ll keep doing all of these things no matter my circumstances and no matter what my own mind is inclined to think the way it’s “supposed to be” for me. Most of all I keep give Thanks to the God of it all for what I have, for those I love, for His Faithfulness to me, for the Price he Paid throughout the holidays and every other day of the year. How is it “supposed to be” when it comes to the Living God?

Happy Thanksgiving.