The Bad Vacuum
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. Nahum 1:7
These are my thoughts today (at my nanny job) as I watch the cleaners do their work.
Now there probably is no such thing as a good or bad vacuum cleaner in the spiritual world but sometimes I get sucked into some convoluted thinking in the blink of an eye! I often talk to myself and question how I landed on this or that topic and what thread of truth I used to swing into the land of disillusion.
Haven’t you ever had a moment of clarity and asked yourself, “How did I form this opinion?” or “Who says it must be this way?”
Personally, I think there is an evil vacuum out there that goes around blending in with noisy, media hype and tries to suck us into the state of Negative Thinking. Once we have crossed that border, nothing is right! We try to find someone to blame for everything and whatever went wrong, it certainly was not our fault. Our excuses, rationalizations and justifications are quite creative! We do not see the good in anyone—especially ourselves. No one is trustworthy and that includes us. Life is miserable in the land of Negative Thinking.
It is difficult to breath because the air is so polluted. Our own thinking (opinion) is bothersome to everyone around us. We are all crowded into the small space as we whirl and twirl aimlessly. Wait, new ones are joining our grumpy group. They always say, “Misery loves company!”
Life is pointless and heavy especially at the bottom of the bag. When will someone empty this nasty thing? Do we really want to wallow around in this grimy dirt anymore? If we could only reach outside and hit the switch and turn this off! Who will take mercy on us and dump us out?
Someone is coming! Maybe he will help us if he hears us. We must raise our voices and sing together. We must be heard over the hum of the motor and over the media hype. Come on now and sing!
Okay, if some of you want to stay in this state, feel free; but I am getting out.
Wow! Fresh air, sunshine, relief, and freedom! Oh, how I have longed for this positive moment. He saw us all dirty and dusty and He made a way for us. I am eternally grateful. How about you?
Gracious God, thank You for seeing our struggles and for helping us to pull the plug on our negative thinking. Remind us that You are a refuge of love and mercy at all times. AMEN.