Sitting around the dinner table, one of my daughters dumped a cascade of emotions she’d bottled up far too long.
Frustration, bewilderment and anger all poured forth.
She ended with, “It will never get any better!”
I swallowed hard, fighting tears of empathy and quieted my mama’s correction voice.
“TORPAL,” her sisters chorused. Looking around the table at each other we all said, “TORPAL!”
TORPAL. No, it’s not really a word. It’s an acronym we use to recall Philippians 4:8.
It’s how we keep one another accountable in the positive-thinking department.
True
Honorable
Right
Pure
Admirable
Lovely
That’s where we ought to fix our thoughts.
That doesn’t mean we ignore the realities that aren’t TORPAL; it means not parking our minds there and following the trails of what-if’s.
Paul communicates a mountain of wisdom in those four short chapters of Philippians.
Chapter four is my favorite, and just maybe the most challenging to live out.
Being positive isn’t easy, especially when I’m tired, frustrated or have tried something F-O-R-E-V-E-R!
People can poke fun at positive words.
Sometimes, situations don’t change.
So, what is the point in being positive?
Read the next verse, 9, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me- put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (NIV, Emphasis mine.)
As we face hard things, wouldn’t you rather face them with God and have peace?
We may not hold a solution but the One who does holds us.
God knows the power of our thoughts. He knows when our thoughts are positive, we will fare better. The events of the day won’t appear so bleak. The storms won’t feel so stark or overwhelming.
Peace isn’t always the happy ending. It’s knowing, no matter what the ending, God’s got even this.
He will redeem it. Some how, some way, He will use it for my good.
And while he’s working it out, we can cling to Him, think positively and experience His peace.
Take it one thought at a time. Ask your friends and family for accountability.
Who knows? You just might find yourself saying, “TORPAL!”
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your instructions on where to park my thoughts. Forgive me for past failures. Please help me think positively. Thank you for solving the dilemmas great and small. Thank You for Your peace. That peace which passes understanding that You give when I don’t have it all figured out. In Jesus’ name, Amen.