WHAT'S RIGHT WITH THE WORLD?

This past weekend I went kayaking on the Susquehanna River with five of my favorite friends.  The weather was perfect for such an outing as it wasn't too hot and the river was low and calm.  While four gals waited on shore for their turn, a friend and I paddled our boats and chatted about all kinds of things.  She brought up an interesting question that probably most of us have thought about.  She said, "I often wonder how people see me."  She was wondering what words people would use to describe her and if she had any qualities that others might be turned off by.

I told her that we all wonder how we're perceived by others.  And most likely, we all have qualities that can be annoying to others.  With so many different personalities around us, how can we possibly find favor with everyone all the time?  I'm probably perceived as an extremist to some.  When something makes me mad, I write about it or share a  video on the subject.  My readers probably say, "Let's check out Danelle's blog and see what intense news she has for us today."

The last video I shared on facebook was about genetically modified food.  I think it's deceiving that 85% of all processed and packaged food is genetically modified and yet there is no labeling to let us know that.  I think it's a crime that this experimental food is unknowingly sold to us and has been since 1996.   With so many people complaining about stomach and intestinal problems, perhaps we are now seeing the result of eating this garbage for fourteen years.

Before I go off on another rant about the things that make me mad, I want to lighten it up today and talk about the things that make me happy.  What's right with the world?  It's time to talk about that.  Getting back to kayaking, one thing that makes me happy is enjoying the company of good friends and the beauty of God's creation. I love the outdoors.  I love the smell of fresh cut grass, logs burning on an open fire, and the earthy scent of a cool Autumn day.

One thing that's right with the world is our freedom to enjoy family, friends, and nature.  I can't imagine what life would be like without my husband, my kids, my mom, my sister, and two brothers.  It's good to know I have family.  I love to fill my house with people I care for.  How lonely it would be to celebrate holidays without them.  Every home is just waiting to be filled with laughter, love, and good conversation  And in those moments when everyone I love is around me, chatting, laughing, and enjoying each other, I'm my most content.  This is what life's about and there's nothing better.

The only thing that makes it better is a beautiful atmosphere.  Can you remember a time when nature took your breath away?  Can you remember being in a place that was so vividly spectacular you could barely take it in without feeling that you might burst from the awesomeness of it? I feel this way when I stand next to the ocean, or when I look across a glassy lake surrounded by deep green pines, silhouetted against the clearest blue sky. Nature is a stirring vision that has the power to fill us with breathless awe.  Our world is filled with such amazing sights, so many I have yet to see.  Just knowing that these sights are out there waiting for me is one more reason to wake up tomorrow.  Despite the problems we face, the earth's beauty is all around us, reminding us of the higher power that created it.

Which leads me to the next thing that's right with the world.  God is still in control.  Although I'm passionate about exposing error and speaking out against injustice, I know that all the things happening today are part of God's prophetic plan. My feathers get ruffled, but I still have peace.  Living peacefully among the chaos is exactly how God wants us to live.  He didn't design us for the kind of stress people feel every day.  Without a closeness to God, we don't handle that stress well and our lives will show it.  God is the greatest thing that's right with this world.  He's the only source of real peace.  You can try to replace God with other things, but you'll always feel empty when you lie waiting for sleep at days end.

God is in His heaven.  All is right with the world.