From the Pastor's Desk

“The Lord is good to all, and his compassion are over all that he has made.” Psalm 145:9

What is one of your irrational fears? I think we all have them, some of us just may have a few more than the rest of them. For the longest time, I was afraid of elevators. (They’re still not my favorite thing, but I have grown accustomed to them). For some reason, I was just bothered by the gap between the elevator and the floor & the fact that at any given moment, a cord could snap & down I would go.

I imagine many of us have imagined worst case scenarios like this before. Maybe not with an elevator, but maybe with our families, procedures, trips, and more. Our brains are hardwired to remember negative information more than positive information. But nowadays, there are less things to be worried about. From 2005 to 2013 there was a 23% reduction in avoidable hospitalizations, last year had the highest life expectancy recorded for our country (79,4), our overall standard of living has increased with technological innovation, and much more! We have access to things that would be unbelievable for most humans across time!

And yet, many of us still struggle with worst-case thinking. Asking ourselves, “what if everything went wrong & everyone knew it was my fault?” or “what if I make one irreversible mistake?”

What if we tried to explore the best-case? Have you ever wondered what if everything went right? What if you began to expect the best? Within our church, we have a good mix of optimists, pessimists, and everything in between. One of the things I have noticed in my personal life is the change that occurs when I am looking for the good.

We are creatures of habit and if we make catastrophizing our habit, we will begin to expect it all to go wrong. But if we habituate our positivity, our gratitude for what is in front of us, our ability to name God’s goodness around us, we will begin to expect the good.

We might be able to see more of the gifts God has given us. Psalm 145:9 reminds us of God’s innate goodness. His compassion is over ALL that he has made – you and me, God’s church, natural creation, and more. What if we tried keeping our eyes open for this goodness and compassion?

There are ways to do just that in this month at Hardinsburg UMC:

Senior Sunday – May 3rd . Come see God at work in our graduating seniors!
3 Practices Circle – May 6th . As we listen intently to one another, we will witness God’s compassion in action.
One of our small groups: Men’s Breakfast, Blessing Team, Circle IV, Single Ladies’ Supper Club, and Book Club… Each of these groups are full of people who love God and make that same love known to their neighbors.
First Responder’s Meal – May 20th Witness how God will move among us as we serve and feed our first responders.

Won’t you consider participating and seeing God’s goodness at work?

Rev. Tess Welch