Training With Trains

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)

The Bible tells us not to be anxious or worry about anything. We can get upset over a lot of things in life. We can let what happens to us to steal our peace and make us angry. Or we can choose otherwise.

Currently, we live near some train tracks- and they are busy ones. If I get upset and irritated by the trains going by our house hour after hour, any complaining I might do won’t stop the trains from coming. Day and night, they travel by, whistles sounding loud and cars moving fast. I can’t gripe them away. And those trains serve a valuable purpose; to transport needed items to people and places where they can be used. So, what can I do?

My best option is to hold on to my peace and watch what I think, feel, say, and do. By keeping my peace and refusing to complain, I can maintain a thankful attitude instead. I can thank God for who He is and all He does for me. Praising God may or may not stop the trains from coming, but it will stop me from having a bad attitude. Thanking God will keep me peaceful and happy in the Lord, regardless of my circumstances and the irritations of life.

While God is working to move us to another location, He is using this to grow and change me. Real victory is found in overcoming no matter where we are. We must learn to praise God anyway. Yes, the trains keep coming, loud, fast, and long, but I can choose to praise God and remain peaceful and pleasant, even though I cannot change it. Knowing that I’m growing and pleasing my heavenly Father makes it doable.