The DISH from Chef Jerry

Opportunity—this is what life is all about. “Opportunity” has been defined as “the point where crisis meets preparation.” If you’re not prepared, a crisis can be lethal. When you’re prepared, it will lead to your next exciting demonstration of Truth! The dictionary says a crisis is “a turning point in the course of anything; decisive or crucial time, stage or event.” Opportunity is defined as “a good chance or occasion to advance oneself.”

Is your world in crisis? Yea! What a great opportunity! In fact, if you’re not in crisis, you’re not going anywhere. Some people look at a crisis as a “bad” thing, something to avoid…but no growth, no breakthrough, has ever happened without crisis. No matter how “awful” things may look—in a financial crisis, a healing crisis, or a relationship crisis—you’re moving through, and the other side of awful is awe-some!

From a prison cell with just one small window looking out on the muddy street, “two prisoners looked out through prison bars; one saw mud, the other saw stars.” What do you see when you look at your life? Mud or stars? What you see is what you get. It’s your perception that counts. Crisis is good. It’s a chance to grow—but only when you see it that way.

Many times, you hear people say, “There’s nothing but chaos in the world today—one crisis after another.” I say, “What a great time to be alive!” Opportunity abounds! But only when you see it. If you’re looking only at the chaos, you’re miser-able. You’re enabling the “miser” within. Miserable means, “a condition of misery, wretched, unhappy, suffering, etc.”—such opportunity! Change your viewpoint—that’s all it takes!

How was Jesus able to heal someone who had been sick, or lame, or blind from birth? He wasn’t! He could only heal them if they were willing to change their viewpoint. He never claimed any credit for healing anyone. It was their faith that made them whole. If they believed they were a miser-able sinner, and continued in that belief, they could not be healed. To change your life, you have to change your beliefs. That’s the law!

Diets don’t work…whether they be physical, mental or emotional. You can stop eating for a while and lose some weight, but if you go back to eating the same way, you’ll gain the weight back—plus! The same goes for your thoughts. You can “try” positive thinking and things will get better for a while, but if you continue your negative words and criticize, condemn or complain, you will revert to your negativity and even be worse because you “tried” and failed. Emotional diets are the most devastating. You get “high” on “love”…you will go “low” on hate. An emotional high always leads to a crash…it’s that law again. An emotional high is a crisis, it’s an opportunity to see it for what it is, and “temper” it. Take it from emotion to feeling—from the head to the heart—it’s the longest journey—but the only “trip” worth taking. What are you going to do with your crisis? Are you prepared, or will it be lethal? “I set before you life and death…choose life…” (Deut. 30:19) I seize the opportunity! (pun intended)