Yahweh, you are my soul’s celebration.
    How could I ever forget the miracles of kindness
    you’ve done for me?
³ You kissed my heart with forgiveness, in spite of all I’ve done.
    You’ve healed me inside and out from every disease.
⁴ You’ve rescued me from hell and saved my life.
    You’ve crowned me with love and mercy.
⁵ You satisfy my every desire with good things.
    You’ve supercharged my life so that I soar again
    like a flying eagle in the sky!

Psalm 103:2-5 (TPT)

I often find myself caught up in a vicious cycle of despair in my way of thinking all in the name of “Authenticity”. Surrounded by negative situations, it’s only natural that I should think realistically concerning my circumstances. I would hate to come off as joyful while the society I live in is embedded with and sustained by the treacherous mindset of “realistic” thinking. Realistically, I will never have my dream job. Realistically, I will settle for less because to have more is simply not in the cards for me. Nobody likes to hear how well the joyful guy is doing in his life; all the while anyone who hears his testimony of peace and love cannot help but feast upon those words like they are their only source of life. Tell me something dark and depressing so that I can feel better about myself. Dream big while you can, but be ready to let go of those fantasies, lest you be sorely disappointed. Vicious cycle indeed. How authentic . . .

The moment I exchanged gifts with Jesus, The One Who Saved Me From Myself , I surrendered my right to think realistically. It was a simple barter. I gave him my life, and in return he gave me my life. No, that’s not a typo. As a citizen of the Kingdom, I am now bound by the laws of Kingdom. No longer am I held accountable to the thinking of the world, but rather the thinking of heaven. This wonderful reality is beyond any freedom that I have ever experienced. I am bound by Love. Shackled by Peace. Imprisoned by Joy. Anxiety tried to get in, but my personal bouncer and body guard, Holy Spirit, saw to it that I never had to lay eyes on his ugly mug again. Depression and Complacency almost discovered a secret passage into my wonderful new world; as it turns out, Holy Spirit knows how to handle unauthorized intruders.

I am authentic to my reality. To me, being realistic means to think OUT OF THIS WORLD thoughts! My King is not limited by the laws of the earth. Which is to say, even on the days on which it seems to be raining, or the sky is dark and the wind bites my skin, I am required by the law of the Kingdom to choose a higher reality. One in which the Son always rises, but never sets. My past life fights to gain entry into the Great Place, but my past life would do well to learn that it is dead, and has been dead for quite some time. How could I ever forget the miracles of kindness He has done for me? He kissed my heart with forgiveness. He healed me inside and out. He rescued me from the pit, and crowned me with love and mercy. He satisfied my heart. He renewed my soul. I would be a fool to forget.

Lord, thank you for a better reality. Thank you for a better life. A better cycle. How authentic . . .

-Jonah