Unlike my children, I’m old enough to remember life BTE (Before The Emoji). Oh, the challenges we had before 2010 when we needed to communicate using only words!
With “World Emoji Day” coming up next month, we can both celebrate and lament the invention and usage of these tiny pictures which now dominate many of our messages.
While I wasn’t an early adopter, I do admit now that emojis have made sending a text or email much easier.
Quick as a flash, I can now say to someone: 😍😂💃, which means “I love what you’ve just said. I find it hilarious! It makes me want to dance in a red dress.”
Our most-used emojis reveal some of our common reactions to life. While life can sometimes makes us smile😀, laugh😂 and love❤️, it can also be filled with events which cause us to shed a tear😢, feel embarrassed😳 or get angry😠. For every cause for celebration🥳 and dancing in a red dress💃, there will also be a time when we face disappointment😞 or fear😱. How should we react to the ups and downs of life? 🤷
I love the answer the Bible offers. The apostle Paul ends his first letter to the Thessalonians with encouragement on how his readers can live, even when life was hard:
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
God’s desire for all of us is to rejoice and be thankful. And God’s desire is that we pray to Him. The One who creates and holds together all things wants us to speak to Him about all that is going on in our lives; the hard and bad and sad, as well as the good. That we can talk to God in prayer and live thankfully is one of the gifts and privileges which God has given humanity. Whatever comes our way, God hears and answers our requests.
I can talk to God. You can talk to God. He cares and listens to us when we speak with him. We can talk to Him about anything and everything, and He is powerful to answer our prayers. So in every aspect of life…
16 🎉always, 17 🙏 continually, 18 🙏 in all circumstances; for this is God’s will 🫵✝️.
If you would like someone to pray for you or with you, please be in contact with me via email (tlee@meriden.nsw.edu.au). As Community Chaplain for the school, I would love to hear from you and meet for coffee and a chat.
As a Meriden community, we also come together every fortnight to pray for our school, we’d love you to join us (dates here). You can also sign up for our newsletter to receive updates and regular prayer points.