Life is annoying. Not all the time, but there are moments when your plans and expectations are replaced with more pressing needs or unexpected distractions. These times can quickly steal your joy and affect other areas of your life.

We can not isolate ourselves from annoyances, and in the bigger picture, they are often quite insignificant. At any moment, we know that there are people facing much more difficult problems, who would gladly swap places with us. Still, like the proverbial stone in the shoe, the cumulative aggravation can drain our energy and draw us away from what really matters.

Recently, I planned a day for some creative activity. I intentionally adjusted my schedule to allow for activities that recreate my spirit and help me feel renewed. The night before, I discovered a small problem with one of my prescriptions, but I was thankful it would only require a phone call and a quick trip to the pharmacy.

I chose to be proactive, caring for this small disturbance at the start of the day so that I could get it out of the way quickly. Seven hours later, the situation was resolved. My original plans were lost. I felt some satisfaction that I was able to navigate all of the minutiae the problem required, but I could not deny the annoyance of losing the better part of a day to something that seemed it should be easily resolved.

The problem with annoyances is, unchecked, they affect our attitudes. This amplifies other small interruptions and increases our focus on negativity. We lose awareness of our blessings, and we begin to share our inner feelings with others, passing on our frustration and often wounding others. Our attitude becomes infectious, contaminating our environment and the hearts of those we love.

The prophet Nehemiah said, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” (8:10) The power to live a victorious life begins with spiritual joy. When we allow the issues of life to steal that joy, we sacrifice our strength as well, and we live from a place of frustration and defeat rather than blessing and victory.

I would love to tell you that I responded to my challenging day with a Spirit-filled attitude of joy. Instead, I allowed my emotions to rule the day and I can only imagine what I missed in the process. I know that I surrendered my creativity, gave room for unnecessary anxiety, and sowed seeds of negativity that I needed to uproot. Ultimately, I created more challenges for myself, and more work to repair the brokenness I created.

It would be easy to claim, “I am only human,” but I have within me the power to choose, to take a different path. While I could not change my circumstances, I could change myself in the midst of those circumstances. There were countless things to be thankful for, but my thankfulness was lost to frustration. This power is not uniquely mine. It belongs to us all.

Choosing joy is not always easy, but it is worth the effort. Pausing in the midst life’s annoyances gives us room to center ourselves on what really matters. Instead of attempting to force our agenda on life, we can respond to life with a sacred attitude, one that celebrates the sacramental nature of life, of ourselves, and of others. A simple change in mindset results in an entirely different experience.

So today, I invite you to learn along with me from my mistake. I encourage you to pause long enough to see life as it truly is, a blessing entrusted to us by God. As the annoyances come, train yourself to increase your joy, not because of the challenges, but in the face of them. Choose a different path, and find strength in the joy you receive. Every second of life is a treasure. We cannot hold onto the time, but we can decide where we will invest it, and that investment will determine the return we receive. Together, let’s choose joy and strength, trading our worry for wonder and our frustration for faith.

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The closing months of the year are a flurry of activity as the weather changes and we progress through a series of holidays. If we are not careful, we can be focused on checking off all of the events while we miss the meaning.

Just five days ago, we paused to celebrate Thanksgiving. We gathered with family, friends, and our community to appreciate one another. Some of us may have been by ourselves, or maybe we needed to celebrate on a different day, but the meaning was still the same… taking time to appreciate life and the blessings of that life.

Of course, Friday became the day to begin shopping, start decorating, and turn our attention toward Christmas. Surrounded by reminders to participate in Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, we easily mark Thanksgiving complete and move on. Thankfully, in spite of cultural activities, gratefulness is not limited to a singe day. We can still be thankful, and celebrate an attitude of gratitude.

We can choose to greet each day with a spirit of gratefulness for a new day to live and share with God and others. We can close each day with a heart full of thanksgiving for moments and experiences that made that day unique. We can look at the flurry of activity and say, “I am still thankful.”

Of course, we all know that life is not perfect. There are challenges and disappointments, pain and heartache, but our life is so much more than just those moments. We may need to be very intentional and persistent as we look for our blessings, but they are there. A grateful heart does not deny reality, but it does seek to look at the whole picture. It refuses to be defined by obstacles and hurts, choosing instead, to uncover the hidden treasures of our lives.

One of the most helpful tools to help us cultivate gratitude is a “Thank Journal.” It is a practice I work to embrace every day. As each day comes to a close, I take time to reflect on the day and to make a list of at least five things I am thankful for. Some days are easier than others, but with enough time, I can always find five. Sometimes, there are more, and often, after I get started, I find momentum to keep listing. It is amazing how full our lives truly are. The more we focus on our blessings, the easier it becomes to see them.

I remember a hymn from my childhood in which we sang, “Count your many blessings, name them one by by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has done.” It may sound simplistic, but it is effective. Celebrating thanksgiving, even when it is not Thanksgiving Day, and even when life is hard, can change our attitudes and our lives.

Maybe this is why the Apostle Paul ended his first letter to the Thessalonian Church with these words, “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) God calls us to be thankful in all circumstances because it is good for us. Not only does it keep us aware of God’s constant presence, but it helps us become transformed people as our minds are renewed with God’s blessings.

So, as we move away from the Thanksgiving holiday, may we not lose the thankful spirit it celebrates. Instead, let us remain still thankful for all of the blessings in our lives. We will be richer for it, and so will those around us.

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Saturday, our congregation had the privilege of serving almost 200 people as we provided support for the first Amish Country Running Festival. People came from our region and state, around the United States, and from Canada to participate in the event, which included runs from one mile to a full marathon, all through the scenic beauty of Amish country.

Some of our people participated in the race. One of our youth sang the National Anthem. Some helped provide direction and support along the course. Many came to cheer and encourage the runners along the way. Most came to make delicious food to feed the runners and community as they enjoyed the day’s activities.

The event coordinators thanked us for all we did, but we were the ones who were thankful. We did not offer our help to get recognition, we simply wanted to offer hospitality as an expression of our faith, our support of our community, and our love for people. Sharing the gift of hospitality is a blessing, one that can easily be overlooked, but that makes a difference in the world and in our own lives.

Once, while working at a community food pantry in another town we lived in, I experienced the confusion that often surrounds the ministry of hospitality. Many people were coming to receive the food they needed for their families. It was humbling to help people who needed what I often took for granted. I thanked every person who came.

After one of my, “thank you,” moments, another worker came to me and said, “Why are you thanking them? We are the ones giving them free food. Shouldn’t they be thanking us?” I was so caught up in the blessing of serving that the question surprised me. I never considered that the other workers were not experiencing the blessing I was receiving. I did my best to explain what a gift it was to share hospitality with others, but I am not sure my thoughts and feelings were completely understood.

I confess that I left that moment thinking the person who asked me that question was a little callous, but after some prayer and reflection, I think the proper word was confused. Too often, we are never shown what a gift hospitality is to the one who offers it. Those around us frequently point out what others receive when we share hospitality, while neglecting to teach us the spiritual gift serving produces in us. The supernatural reality of hospitality is that it blesses everyone, the one who offers it, those who receive it, and the world that is touched by it. Our acts of love and compassion change far more than individual lives. When we live with hearts of love and service, we change communities and destinies, and the ripple of those actions change the heart of humanity.

I love the encouragement found in the book of Hebrews, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” (13:2) At first this might seem like a warning, “show hospitality because it might be a test from God.” I prefer to think of it as inspiration, “show hospitality because you never know the difference you are making, You might even be demonstrating to angels the power of God’s love in human hearts.”

Hospitality is not just about helping someone else, and it is certainly not about feeling good about ourselves because we did something. Hospitality is about making a difference, changing the world one act at a time. It is about revealing the heart and nature of God through acts of kindness. Hospitality helps the world see that God’s eye is on them, that God knows them and calls them by name. We demonstrate God’s love and provision, and declare the sacred worth of every life, created in the image of God. In actions large and small, we tangibly declare that the world matters to God, and that we were made for the blessing of community.

You may not be supporting a race today. You may not be working at a food pantry, or any other organized program, but thankfully, you don’t need an event or a program to practice hospitality. Opportunities abound all around us. We can serve our families. We can listen to someone who thinks no one hears their voice. We can share our blessings with those who feel forgotten. We can rejoice with those who need to celebrate with someone, and cry with people who are hurting. Everything we do will make a difference. Jesus said even a cup of water offered in his name could change the world.

So, lets not miss the gift of hospitality. Instead, embrace it, for together, we can change the world through the power of God at work within us.

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There is a lot of truth to that statement, but there is an even greater truth that I am tempted to forget. I am not the center of the universe. Never has, nor will, the world revolve around me, and any challenges I face must be kept in perspective by remembering my place in relationship to others.

Just last night, our church received a request from a family for help this Christmas. With no money for a Christmas tree or presents, and facing some severe needs, they were reaching out for help. No sooner did I receive the request, than I felt the Holy Spirit say, “These are real problems. Help them, and while you are at it, watch your perspective.”

In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul reminded them, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” (2:3, NIV) He knew the heart of his listeners, maybe the heart of every listener. It is all too easy to think that our world is the whole world and simply ignore those around us, caught up in all of our own issues. It was an important reminder, and it remains a significant call upon all of our lives. Great things happen when embrace a way of life that values others ahead of ourselves.

Humility is a challenging concept, but one that is at the heart of the Christmas message. Jesus chose to leave his heavenly position to become one of us in order to liberate us from sin and death, and to give us new life. The very nature of the incarnation, God in human flesh, is an expression of humility that seeks to lift others up.

The popular author, C.S. Lewis once wrote, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.” The goal of embracing a humble life is not to think poorly of ourselves or to treat ourselves badly. True humility is about seeing the value in others and being willing to take second place. The modern Bible translation, the Message, expresses Romans 12:10, “ Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.” Real humility is practicing playing second fiddle.

We all have days where we get lost in our wishes, wants, and desires, but with a little Christmas perspective, we can embrace the humble spirit of Jesus, put others ahead of ourselves, and find the true meaning of life that is found in relationship with Jesus and others.

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