gloom, despair, and agony on me...

Deep dark depression, excessive misery.
If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.
Gloom, despair, and agony on me.

Googled it and found it came from an old TV show. We sang this at camp in the 5th grade with our elementary school. Yes, depressing, and very questionable. I forget the context we sang it in...

But let's be honest. The political news and drama these days has my head spinning ready to explode. There are two things I inevitably see on my news feed these days - NBA recaps and raging articles about Trump. I guess those are the two constants in life right now. We have a new president in power and it's the end of eight years of familiarity. Some things are sadly going to change. The world is all very messed up. Yes, I know.

It's hard to get away from all the doom and gloom. (Honestly, where did all the puppy videos go. Someone please bring them back.) Regardless of which way you lean politically, it's so sad to see our nation so split and people so hurt and angry. I'm devastated. I literally, have no idea what I'm supposed to feel reading the news these days. It's this terrible mixed feeling of gut-wrenching despair, anger, and helplessness thrown together. And it's unbelievable how quickly this despair permeates into your thoughts and outlook on life.

But when you let these things so quickly cloud your vision, you forget things like hope. Hope in Christ.
Hope not in this world, but the world to come. Hope in a new creation, in a new life. Hope in what Christ has already done to defeat death and redeem us.

This world will inevitably end in destruction. Our stupidity and selfishness and mess destine us for doom. Like, death. And God, brilliant as He is, doesn't call us to depend on the world or depend on our earthly leaders. Not on political policies or executive actions or protestors or "the people". He calls us to depend on Him. JESUS.
In Christ and Christ alone. 

Where is our hope?
And how should we be showing that in our life today?

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Galatians 5:13-15

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

end rant.
01.26.17
senior day #162