Every morning usually has the same routine: wake up, shower, breakfast, commute and work. Lately, just before stepping out of home, the following thought crosses my mind: “lets see what today is going to bring”. Not in a pessimistic way but rather in a surprising manner.
If you think about it, you really never know what can happen next. You can make plans in your life but nothing is ever guaranteed to go exactly how you planned. Life is full of unexpected moments either good or bad. The good ones are pretty easy to take but when you least expect it, you could experience bad news, challenging interactions or loss.
When I‘ve had this feeling in the mornings, I‘ve been more concerned about whether I could handle correctly any unexpected moments. Probably not, depending on the situation. After pondering further over this thought I was able to understand that, for any circumstance, all I ever need to remember is what Jesus did and the example He gave me.
When I think about the cross, everything that Jesus did for me, and what He taught me through it, a larger perspective comes into my world. When I look at the cross I can reflect on the following three insights as teachings.
Compassion. Although many did not have any compassion toward Jesus, He did have it for humanity to the point of giving his life. When I have compassion, I can have mercy and I can treat others with equality and respect. When I remember how Jesus has forgiven and loved me, I can be more tolerating, forgiving and empathic toward others.
I can remember what He taught. Humbleness, manners, fellowship, dealing with difficult people and temptation, just to name a few, are some of the many things he taught on. Most of the important lessons you will need, Jesus covered them.
I will remember that He is with me always. One of the most important things that you will need to remember on unexpected moments is that He’s got you.
Think about some unexpected moments you have had in your life and then how different you would’ve handle them if you had present these three things. Sometimes we can become forgetful unless we make a routine out of what we must do every day. When something is part of our daily routine we don’t even have to stop and think about it, we do it automatically.
We try to remember things in many ways: sticky notes, alarms and calendars, for example. If every day we add to our morning routine something that reminds us the cross and what we live by, probably, we could have better days. Perhaps a short daily prayer or a bible verse on a sticky note at the door so that we can read it right before stepping out. Simple details that can give us daily inspiration and could make our day more pleasant and manageable.
