We have to be intentional with our thoughts now more than ever.
Despite my better judgement I am announcing I was an 80’s child. Rainbow Brite. Care Bears. You name it. If it enhanced my creative make-believe playtime, I was a fan!
Movies that encouraged imagination also stuck with me. All of you Falkor the Luck Dragon fans know what I’m talking about. How many of you wished you lived in the Ivory Tower and thought the Childlike Empress was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen?
The Neverending Story was a movie I watched several times growing up. I can quote and sing (not well) enough of the movie to keep my 80’s kid credentials. Although I did have to Google character names more than what I thought I would have to for this post.
I haven’t thought about Atreyu and the gang for years, until yesterday. Yesterday I listened to a presentation where the primary topic was COVID and the increased volatile situation many hospitals are facing with a rise in patients needing care. I felt sucked in. Like the nothingness pulled me in. It stole my hope and joy. Tried to pull me down. And for a moment it did. A little Artax action going on. I let the sadness of the swamp get to me. It left me creatively blocked. Tired. Confused. And grumpy all afternoon.
I could sense that creepy childhood nightmare lurking around a corner. Dark. Creepy. In the shadows. Pure evilness. If COVID had a face it would totally be G’mork. It’s fitting since he states, “he is a servant of the power behind the nothing.” Anyone else thinking the devil is like the nothingness and has COVID working as his servant?
Although I hesitate to quote wolf-COVID, he states “people who have no hope are easy to control.”
I promise I am not making any political associations – but lets think about that for a moment.
What is your hopeful status today? I know for a moment yesterday my hope-tank was running low. I let the overwhelming nothingness take over my afternoon. I allowed the uncertainty of all things COVID to incapacitate the positive encourager God has asked me to be daily.
Do you want to be controlled by evilness? The nothingness? Controlled by something that frankly gave me nightmares as a young child?
Or are you actively choosing laughter and seeing the good in others? Intentionally choosing hope? Purposely loving strangers? It took most of my afternoon to hop back up on my good luck dragon – and by that I mean spent some time in prayer and praising Jesus – but I pulled myself out of the quicksand of despair.
If you find yourself like I was yesterday, say it with me “I will not lose hope. I will not let the nothing grow stronger. I will be intentional with my positive thoughts. I will remember although much is out of my control, there is much that is.”
If The Neverending Story is not your cup of 80’s nostalgia just be thankful I didn’t write about another on of my favorites. Annie. But then again…“When I’m stuck with a day, That’s gray, and lonely. I just stick out my chin, And grin, and say. The sun will come out tomorrow. So ya gotta hang on’til tomorrow.”
Intentionally positive,
Kerri
