Let’s be transformers of the culture, not reflectors. I recently attended a virtual conference through the Murdock Charitable Foundation and want to share some of that experience with you. The main topic that resonated with me was the statement that we are in the midst of a moral convulsion. This happens when people lose faith in each other and institutions. We can see this happening all around us, it seems as though every person is just looking out for themselves. What is encouraging to me is that out of this moral convulsion there can be turnaround. How do we do this? Well, culture happens when people find a better way to live and other people copy it. At Life Options, we submerge ourselves into understanding the people we serve by asking questions about their life; this establishes trust. We run this organization with integrity which communicates respect. And we educate with love to help people live a healthy life. This is how we transform the culture through Life Options. One person gains new trust in us and in the institution we represent, causing hope for the future which they then share with others.
This year has stirred up everything we know to be “normal” within our relationships, our jobs and perhaps our world view. There has been so much information, and dare I say misinformation, swirling around: it’s become very hard to know what’s true and what isn’t.
We were encouraged, during the conference, to memorize Psalm 23, which provides us with a guidepost for persevering. No matter what we go through, God is with us. Jesus came down to earth to experience things at our level, he stooped so low because His love for us is so great.
There’s nothing we need more than Jesus. He is the only way, truth and life. He provides for us. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”
When our soul cries out weary and unable to press on, God gently lifts us up. “He refreshes my soul.”
When we don’t know the way, God directs us through His word. “He guides me along the right path, for His name’s sake.”
When the world is dark and uncertain, God is there with us and our hope lies in Him. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
When division creeps in through conversations, social media and personal conflict, God invites us to reconcile with each other. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”
We can rest assured that we will be brought home with Him for eternity. “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
God is with us.
Merry Christmas and God bless,
Melanie Smeenk, CEO