Do something

For those young and old with FOMO, (fear of missing out) you are not alone...even if you feel like you are. But first, for the people who don’t have fomo, good for you. Enjoy your Sudoku. For my fomo friends though, as you scroll through Facebook, Instagram or begin to fill your mind with another Netflix series hoping it will make you feel connected...there is something you should know. Most people right now are not really doing anything either!! Yes there may be something happening but, most people actually go to work or school, get some food with family and sometimes a friend (don’t fret), come home, do some stuff that’s got to be done, like wash dishes, fold clothes, practice, do homework, go to the bathroom (is it a natural part of the day), play with their phone, think about “what’s up?” maybe even ask “what’s up?” Sit on the couch, get lazy (or work out), get more food, sit more, have a pointless conversation, drink coffee, bathroom more, go to the store because they need to, go to the store because they want to, play with their phone again, text a friend, wonder what everyone else is doing, be disciplined to do what they need to do, play with their phone again, get sleepy, think about how they probably missed out on something, or possibly just enjoyed the day God gave them, enjoyed the people He put on their path, got a good meal, got in bed, pondered their day, and fell asleep. Sound familiar? We all want to feel like we are “liked”, included, and loved. The truth is: - You are liked by God but probably not by all people. It’s ok, really. Be at peace with that and with them. - You are included in the gospel . God so loved the world. That includes you. -You are loved. God demonstrated His love to you (yes you) by Jesus dying on the cross for your sins and He proved it through His glorious resurrection. He lives to intercede for you and to give you joy and peace and abundant life. He listens to you and cares for you! -And He has set up His church to be a group of people that are bound together by what God has done and the common faith we have in Him, not by things or events. So actually instead of thinking about the temporary things you think you may be missing out on here, think of and be thankful for, what you have been given by God for your life here. Its abundantly amazing and so rich with His blessings!! Again, we all like to be a part of something, I get it, enjoy it when you can but don’t sit and be pouty and afraid of missing out anymore for a temporary event...if you have chosen to follow Christ you are part of “the gathering of gatherings” and its coming soon. You are invited to a place that “eye has not seen nor ear has heard” the wonderful things that He has prepared for all those who love Him, including YOU! So don’t lose heart. You are not alone. Love the life God gave you and don’t let the devil, people, or your own thoughts bring you down. Have faith. Encourage others with the love God has shown you and you will overcome FOMO. Because God says you are included!!! “I am convinced that the present sufferings of this time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us” Romans 8:18 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:16-18‬ ‭‬‬

Jesus said to them, "Let us go to the other side of the lake" -Luke 8:22 The boat was being tossed back and forth as despair and total destruction loomed, yet He was asleep. “Why are you keeping silent during this most difficult season Lord?” Have you ever asked that of Him? We see the storm and it’s effects. We see the waves are not stopping, their constant roll tossing the boat of our lives around like it was nothing. We feel the winds of uncertainty coming hard from what feels like every direction and the splashes of water and mist serve as a personal reminder as they splash against your face. And He is asleep.... “Save us Lord we are perishing!” “Have you brought us out here to die?” “Why have you forsaken me?” These words come from the scared, broken, desperate, hearts of men who have come before you...you are not alone. Jesus said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” And He got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and it became perfectly calm... Our natural tendency of fight or flight keeps our minds racing. We want to see and feel results, believing God can do all things, but we wonder if maybe He does not particularly care or notice much about our personal situation. But the opposite is at work. He knows exactly what’s going on and why it’s going on. He has seen your trouble and He knows exactly what to do and when to do it. He has heard your cry. Trust that. Keep the faith knowing that He is on mission to reconcile the world back to Himself....that includes you and your story. There are no storms that He has not seen the beginning or end of. He can calm the wind and the seas at a word. Take a step of faith. He told His disciples that they were going to the other side. He knew the storm was part of the journey, we should know that too. Let Him take you to the place He wants to take you. Even through the storm. Trust Him, He knows what to do, allow His words to calm your spirit and know that He is fighting for you. “For those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength” Isaiah 40:31 Further Reading Luke 8:22-25