Thriving...in Spite of It

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” ‭‭James‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I have a lot of family and friends with March birthdays, and as the years add up, it becomes harder and harder to find that “perfect gift.” Perhaps it’s because we change so much as we pass from decade to decade, like walking through successive doors connecting room after room of its own discoveries and challenges.  And then there is the perception that everyone else is as difficult to please as we are. We think we know exactly what we want or need, but we end up choosing things — even for ourselves — that don’t fit or function the way we imagined. Even our own plans undermine us, leading us into frustration or failure, leaving us eventually disappointed or discontented and looking for the next thing that hopefully won’t.  We go on as if life “just happens” or happens to us instead of for us… Angry