The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Are you questioning if God is real or in such a dark place, you don’t want to be here anymore? I’ve been there many years ago. This past year has been full of tests and extremely hard times, but God has given me a peace about everything. A peace that can only come from Him. A huge part of this has been changing my mindset and perspective. I try to think positive about every little detail, no matter what the circumstances look like.
Instead of constantly thinking about the what if’s and negativity, focus your thoughts on God's word and positivity. Your thoughts are some of the most powerful things about you. You have to surrender daily and ask God to guide your thoughts and actions. You can’t do this on your own.
A life changing moment for me was in the summer of 2011 during one of the darkest times of my life. This is an event that I haven’t talked about very often. I was in a pretty rough place again, questioning if God was real and didn’t want to be here anymore.
I was out at my grandpa's farm one evening and took a video on my phone of some deer, out in the fields. I’d always spent a lot of time out there and a place to go when I needed to get away. It was dead silent that evening and I didn’t hear anything while I was out there.
When I got back home and watched the video, a lady’s voice came in loud and clear in the middle of it. She said “Think good thought.” It immediately sent chills down my spine and my eyes were watering. I showed my family and a few friends, but honestly was afraid too, figuring they’d think I was crazy. I remember my grandpa saying he believed it was an angel's voice or God trying to speak to me.
It was so hard to believe and didn’t make sense of how it was on my phone. That simple saying helped changed my life. I felt Gods love more than I ever had in that moment and took all of my doubts away. He gave me a hope for the future through those words.
Things didn’t turn around over night, but it made me want to start searching and helped me change my mindset. Our minds are so powerful. I’d been crying out to God to give me a sign or do something to help me out if he was real. God gave me that little bit of hope that was needed to push on in that short video. He’s the only one who would have known how bad of a place I was in. I knew that no matter what happens, I would never give up, knowing that God is real and has a plan for our lives.
Those 3 simple words along with Gods love, is one of the reasons I’m still here today. I still go back and listen to that voice clip from time to time for the reminder. “Think good thought.” So simple, yet profound. That short sentence can help us in any situation. I don’t have the original video, but I’ve been able to save the voice clip on all of my phones through out the years. The original video was on a flip phone.
Scripture has a lot to say about our thoughts because God knows the power of our minds. Isaiah 26:3 says that God will keep our hearts in perfect peace if we keep our minds fixed on Him. The more we allow God to work and time we spend focusing our thoughts on God and His Word, the more our hearts will be kept in peace.
We do this by spending time with God, being in constant conversion with Him and listening to Christian music and reading the Bible. Filling your mind with good things is so important. Surrounding yourself with the right people who are positive and uplifting is also crucial. Let the Holy Spirit guide the way. Know that God is with you every single day and our peace and joy comes from Him alone. If you’re ever struggling with finding peace, go to him in prayer, cry out to Him for help and always think good thoughts!