Chaplains on the River

On a towboat, we all know that the captain is ultimately in charge.  It is their responsibility to oversee the welfare of the boat and crew, as well as the cargo.  There has to be a person at the top, in charge, or else the actions of each individual crew member might not work toward the common goal and good.

Who is in charge in your personal life?  You do not have to be around very long to know that there are some negative and hurtful emotions that can take hold in our minds and cause us grief.  Rev. Bob Harrington, known as the Chaplain of Bourbon Street, has addressed this issue for years.  He colorfully reminds us that we are not a trash can with a hairy lid!  Each of us is a person…God’s greatest creation.  But our minds are sometimes filled with garbage that keeps us from being all that God intends us to be. 

So what is the solution?  There is no pill to take…no magic wand to wave…no easy fix.  We have to make the daily…sometimes hourly or every minute…decision to quit wasting our time baby-sitting our problems and letting them take control of our thinking.  We need to make the concious decision and then take the necessary actions to take charge of what we do with what comes into our lives.  Maybe this little affirmation will help:

I AM IN CHARGE OF ME, ON A DAILY BASIS, BEGINNING NOW, WITH GOD’S HELP!

There is a business in Baton Rouge, LA that passes out bumper stickers with these words:  “Business is Great, People are Teriffic, Life is Good!”  What a positive attitude!  They face the same difficulties that any person faces daily, and their business is feeling the same economic crunch as all.  But they face each day with the realization that what we do, with God’s help, makes the difference in how our day goes.

May this day…and every day…be an opportunity for you to be blessed and be a blessing!