by Mandy Anderson

Created on: May 01, 2008   Last Updated: May 02, 2008

I can almost hear the crashing of the waves on the sand and the wind blowing through the palm trees. If I sit here long enough . . . I can almost hear it. Maybe I can find my way back if I stay here, in the dark, staring at the trinkets and memories of days gone by. Maybe . . . it might work.

What is so soothing about this? What is so enticing about sitting in my living room, in the dark, with the only light coming from my china hutch and a small tea light on the end table? I know what it is. It's the idea of it. It's the notion that when I stare at the butch grass pots and the sand filled vases showcased in my hutch, I feel like I am still there, only inside instead of out by the ocean. It's the feeling that I get from the tea light hidden behind a vase filled with rocks; almost like . . . like my own little piece of an enchanting island . . . an island that is thousands and thousands of miles away. Maybe if I sit here for the rest of my days, my memory will overcome the present and I will actually be there.

But why would I want to do that? Why would I want to waste my time reminiscing about . . . about what? About a wonderful vacation that happened three months ago? About an earthly paradise that probably has negative aspects just like every other part of this earth but because I am so entranced in the beauty of it, I can't see it? Why would I want to do that . . . wouldn't I miss out on living my life? Wouldn't I miss out on the things that God has set before me?

What about the things that God has called me to do; the things he has called all of us to do for that matter. Staying in this chair and wishing I were elsewhere would be doing the exact opposite of what God has called me to do. God hasn't called me to sit in this chair and wish my life away. God has called me to make a difference, and while doing so, to fix my thoughts on Jesus (Hebrews 3:1). Somehow staying in this chair and dreaming about living on an island doesn't seem to be a necessary step in keeping my thoughts fixed on Jesus.

But how do I change that? How do I reverse my way of thinking about the past and longing for it and begin placing my thoughts on Jesus?

I start by being thankful for my past experiences, and at the same time, understand that they are not as good as it gets. I start by making it a priority to read my Bible every morning and learn to apply what I discover to my own life. On days when I feel discouraged and weak, I can rely on God to be my strength. He promises that his grace is sufficient for me in every situation (2 Cor. 12:9). If I depend on God every day that I am breathing on this earth, then inevitably my thoughts will be fixed on Jesus. It really is that simple.

If I get up out of this chair, I can start being thankful for the life that I am living right now. Right here in the present I can make a difference and begin changing my way of thinking. If I turn off the lights and blow out the tea light, I can begin to realize that I don't need the crashing of the waves or the wind in the palm trees to make my life worth living. Those memories are there to enjoy for the rest of my life, but I still have to live the rest of my life. Sitting here in these moments, I have come to the realization that I need to fix my thoughts . . . on Jesus.

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