Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

guest post

The lean days

January. A new year. As much as I appreciate the chance to begin again, I have not always looked forward to these first months of the year.

In recent history, they have been lean days for our family, a time when the work hours reduce and the money stretches but not quite far enough and by early spring we feel like we’re behind and playing catch up for the rest of the year.

This year, the leanness is compounded by unemployment that began on day one of the new year and we find ourselves in an extra state of leanness, one we didn’t predict.

Umit Bulut via Unsplash

It is easy to want to complain and bemoan these circumstances, to long for excess and security and margin, especially where finances are concerned. To be honest, we’ve never really had those things, and to be more honest, I’m not sure I really want them all that much.

When I think back on our leanest days, including the present, they are some of my favorite times.

Why? I have three reasons.

Read the rest of this post at Putting on the New, where I blog on the 12th of each month.

 

When the world breaks

The world is broken.

I hear this all the time. On Facebook. In news articles. From Christians and non-Christians alike.

And it’s not hard to believe when we hear about places like Brussels and Paris, targeted in terrorist attacks, and when we learn about all the other places we don’t hear about who also suffer attacks. It’s not hard to believe when we see the faces of refugees fleeing violent situations and hear the rhetoric about how they are not welcome here. It’s not hard to believe when politicians are shouting at each other. When no choice seems like a good choice and all we want to do is shout, “Come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly!”

It’s easy to point a finger at all the brokenness in the world. To list it like evidence in a trial. Exhibit A. Exhibit B. Here’s proof.

The world is broken. Few people would argue about that.

My question is: what can we do about it?

You can read the rest of this post at Putting on the New, where I write on the 12th of each month.