Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Psalm 96:1

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A blackbird sings outside my window. It is the sound of fall, reminding me of my childhood, when blackbirds would feast in our almond trees. The air was filled with their rich chorus.

I am always grateful for bird song. The bird may be singing his song of woe, but to me, it is a life-affirming sound of hope and beauty. Can we find hope in human songs of woe? Maybe just the fact that we can be open and share our woes is something for which we can be grateful. Reaching out to others; trusting our stories to people who will support us and pray for us. God never intended us to do this thing on our own. 

Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these broken wings and learn to fly All your life. You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Paul McCartney

I have had many conversations with people who fall too deeply into their own thoughts and come out sad, anxious, and fearful. I call it “thinking yourself into a ditch.” Biology is not on our side when it comes to negative thinking. Research shows our brains hang on to negative thoughts and memories longer and more strongly than positive ones. Even more surprising to me was the fact that we tend to think of negative people as smarter than optimists. As a result, we give critical comment greater weight than positive encouraging comments. (Tugend, NY Times) 

So how do we combat negative thinking that has the power to bring on a sad song, pulling us off into a ditch? Paul offers one answer: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy— think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 NIV 

The daily practice of seeking out and focusing on simple graces can help us direct our thoughts in the right direction. Singing a song of hope can lift our spirits.

If that is too much effort for us, God will lift our heads so we can see what is good (Psalm 3:3). As He does so, He plants our feet firmly and shields us on all sides. We are protected in our vulnerable spaces.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, 
whatever is noble, whatever is right, and whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—
think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

Paul directs our attention to God. We are to take our anxious thoughts, our worries, our negative focus, our songs of woe, every situation to God in prayer and petition, and God — not us, not the Internet, not well-meaning friends – will give us peace.

Self-help books aside, much is beyond our control. 

But nothing is beyond God’s reach.

LORD,
Direct my thoughts to those things that require my attention but help me to see you in the midst of all of it. Help me to see your grace before anything else. Help us to pull each other out of fearful thought loops; lift our heads and help us to see how you are there present, giving. Bring others alongside who can encourage us as we look to you to restore our well being. AMEN

Tugend, Alina.  “Praise is Fleeting, but Brickbats We Recall.” March 23, 2012 NY Times