we are your symphony...

why is it that we are never happy with what we have?

i think there are very few people that get up in the morning, look in the mirror, and say, "wow, i'm really happy with the way i look"

most compare themselves to the covers of magazines or to the actors that are seen on our tv screens...

those with curly hair wish they had straight hair...
those that are shy wish they were more outgoing...
those that are curvy...wish they were not...
those that are not curvy...wish they were...

dissatisfaction seems to be part of human nature. we spend an inordinate amount of time focusing on what we do not have instead of thanking God for how he has made us...

in my years working as a fashion consultant...this is the challenge...working with the client's assets and hiding the parts that are not so desirable to them...clothes can do wonders if fit properly...they can hide and camouflage...if done right...they can also give the illusion of something that is not really there...

sometimes a person gets "stuck" on one issue...they are waiting to lose that last 10 pounds...then they will start buying the right clothes...not seeing that the right clothes can look like they already lost those last 10 pounds...

being "stuck" on the one issue is preventing them from moving on...

but what about when you are not happy with your life?

we each have a choice to make...when you realize that your life is playing out in a sea of conflict, and you are on a road to nowhere...you have to choose where your loyalty lies. it's either going to be lined up with God or it is going to be lined up with a world view.

it is easy to get off track...to see how our life should be via the world's message through the media. i believe that God has a plan for each of our lives...one that He does not impose on us...unless we ask Him in. God allows us a great deal of freedom in whether or not we will comply with His will. You can choose to follow His plan or follow your own plan.

you see it in the news every nite...there's a battle going on between good and evil. evil in this world fights against and seeks to undermine the truths God has laid out. i believe that is why it is hard at times to see our lives from God's perspective and to cooperate with His plan for our lives. every person has to take a stand; we are either part of the solution or we will be sucked in and become part of the problem...

it is easy to feel like your life is not going anywhere because the standard we use for evaluating ourselves is based on standards set by the world. it's an easy trap to fall into. in every age group, every nationality, every profession, there are worldly standards that tell us how to measure ourselves. but that is not how God wants us to live and evaluate ourselves.

one of my favorite movies is "mr. holland's opus." he had concluded in his life that he had overestimated his value, when actually...he had underestimated his value. he wasn't seeing the whole picture. he was "stuck" on his symphony...that once he completed this...everything else would fall into place...he would be famous and rich. he thought of himself as a failure because he couldn't see past this one thing in his life...

after he cleaned out his desk, his wife and son escorted him into the auditorium where a surprise awaited him. the hall was filled with colleagues and students...past and present...who had gathered to let him know how much his life had meant to them.

one of the students that had been touched by him...and her life had been greatly impacted by him..was now the governor of their state...as she rose to address mr. holland and all those in the room...she started off by telling everyone how he had impacted her life. she ended by saying..."look around you. there is not a life in this room that you have not touched. and each one of us is a better person because of you. we are your symphony, mr. holland. we are the melodies and the notes of your opus, and we are the music of your life."

wow...

we can learn something from mr. holland's experience, like him, most of us draw conclusions about ourselves in the walk of our daily grind. we may assume things like what we do won't really matter or impact anyone...or that it is not possible that we can make a significant difference...but God says that is just not true...

God's word is true...God has a plan for each of us that will bring us fulfillment. those truths can sometimes look dim when you look at them in light of the influences that surround you...we cannot afford to believe only what we see in this world that is warped by wickedness, because our perceptions determine our responses. if we want to respond to God by following His plan and His way, then we must perceive and believe what He says of us more than we believe what appears to be true in this fallen world.