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En Español
"Complexities"
September 19, 2009
 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
Life can get complex.
Years ago a new soap was being marketed and the product needed an advertising program. A PR think tank came together and explored the possibilities. Nothing -- not the weirdest or wildest of suggestions -- was considered off limits.
To show you how far they wandered, one of the slogan suggestions was this:
"The alkaline elements and vegetable fats in this product are blended in such a way as to secure the highest quality of saponification alone, with a specific gravity that keeps it on the surface of the water, relieving the bather of the trouble and annoyance of fishing around for it in the bottom during his ablutions."
The advertising manager struck it all out and substituted two words: "It floats."
That manager understood there are two ways of looking at life.
There is the complex way and there is the simple way.
The complex way is to see things on our own, deal with things on our own, and to struggle against things on our own.
The simple way is to take all these things -- the things that are bothersome and complex -- and share them with someone else. Some people believe it is best to share those things with a counselor, a friend, or a family member.
St. Peter, in today's text says it is better to go the Lord's way. How did Peter say it? It is better to cast "all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you."
The Heavenly Father has shown the depth and scope of His caring when He sent His Son into this sinful world to save us. Here, Jesus endured the contempt and disrespect of humankind so we might be accepted. He died, so we might live.
Knowing the Lord cares for us changes everything. It can give us an almost euphoric feeling. You might almost say, "we float."
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord of Life, I rejoice that no matter how complicated our lives may appear to be, You have the answer, the direction, and can give the guidance. May this day be lived with a heart that gives thanks that You care for me. In Jesus' Name, I give thanks. Amen.
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