Only human?

                  Paul wasn’t perfect. I just read Acts. I’ve read it many times before. I used to think that it was all about Paul, but that’s ridiculous – it’s all about what Jesus did, through various people, after the resurrection. And of course Paul is very important in the early church, but he wasn’t the only one.

                  I also used to think that Paul was completely right, all of the time. I mean he had to be – he wrote a lot of the New Testament. But when he fell out with Barnabas over whether John Mark should go with them on their second missionary journey, perhaps he was a little at fault too. And the fact that it was called a ‘sharp disagreement’ suggests that it was not handled as well as it could have been. Luke is making clear, I now think, that Paul was human too. That gives me hope.

                  “I’m only human” is not an excuse to sin. And when we do sin it is imperative that we confess, repent and put things right between ourselves and God, and any person involved. But it is nice to know that even Paul got it wrong sometimes. Only Jesus was perfect.

                  I got it wrong the other day. I snapped at my husband over something really silly. I was so annoyed with myself afterwards. But part of the problem was that I was feeling a little blah. I was fed up. Things were not going the way that I felt they should, and I was not happy. So I took the dog for a walk. This is when I get to spend time with the Lord.

                  It is so easy, for me at least, to focus on the things that aren’t as I would like them to be. Perhaps what I needed to do was to focus on the things that were going well. I have taught on thanksgiving, shared with and encouraged others about the importance of thanksgiving, and yet there are times when I need to remind myself. This was one of those times.

                  “Thank you Lord that I have a husband who loves me. Thank you that I have a healthy dog who likes to walk. Thank you that I still have a job that I enjoy. Thank you that it’s not snowing. Thank you that I have a car that continues to run well. Thank you that I am able to walk…”

                  I continued for several minutes thanking the Lord for so many blessings, some that I have tended to take for granted. And guess what – my whole attitude changed. When I returned home I was no longer feeling sorry for myself, or feeling that the Lord had let me down. Now I was upbeat and positive. Nothing had changed in my circumstances. There were still several things that I wished were different. But now I was aware that there were many more things that were pretty good in my life.

                  This blog is short and sweet. It is a reminder that although this can feel like a dark time of year, there are lots of lights shining in our lives, and we need to give thanks for them. And next time that I realise I am only human, after I have put things right, I will remember that I am a human who has been incredibly blessed.