As I sit and have my coffee with Jesus, I was thinking about “pressure.” Pressure during difficult times makes us value life. We are better able to understand ourselves and others when things change. When your children go off to college, you are excited, but then you miss them. You cannot wait until they come home, and then, when they do, they just want to be with their friends! And you can’t wait for them to go back!

When our lives change, I think about the people who lived through the Great Depression, or people who have lived through wars, with their loved ones away and in danger, sometimes for many years. In times like that, it is important for us to ask the bigger question: What do I truly value? What am I doing to make the best of the situation that I have no control over?

When we feel pressure, I know it seems easier to sit and complain, to criticize all those in leadership, to think that they do not know what they are doing, and thereby add to the negative energy that already exists. I challenge you today to find value in this day, in your family and in the reality that God is ever-present in each moment.

Today, make a difference. A smile and a wave to the people walking their dog, the joy in preparing a meal, the prayers of Thanksgiving that we have homes and food and loved ones are all simple ways to cope with daily pressure. We should gain strength from our grandparents and parents who survived much worse than our current problems. Let us value today, because today is all we have, and bring the Spirit of God to all. 

Have a blessed day!