The Next Right Thing

“Then you will understand what is right and just and fair – every good path.”
Proverbs 2:9

Spoiler Alert – If you haven’t seen Frozen 2 you might not want to read this and I highly recommend seeing it.

In Disney’s Frozen 2, Princess Anna has once again been pushed away by her sister. Anna and Olaf who was pushed away at the same time find themselves in a deep dark cavern, when they receive a frozen message from Elsa. Anna understands the meaning of the message and sadly tells Olaf, “I know what needs to be done, we need to destroy the dam.” You see destroy this dam will right a wrong done long before Elsa and Anna were born. Why was Anna so sad, breaking the dam would also destroy her home and kingdom. Olaf spot the way out and as they turn to go something happens to Olaf leading him to the conclusion that “Elsa had gone too far.” Anna says goodbye to Olaf as he flurries away. Anna now alone in the dark, her sister presumed dead, having sacrificed herself for the truth, without her friend Olaf and now faced with overwhelming grief and the need, the call to do the next right thing.

And some of us think we’ve got it hard.

In this interesting time, we find ourselves in – a time where many are fearful, lots are sick, we are all somewhat isolated although some more than others. It can be overwhelming and the next right thing can be hard to see.

I have to be honest, my life personally hasn’t at this point been terribly disrupted – I still shop for groceries once a week, non-groceries every two weeks, my husband still goes to work and our off time is spent at home, which is how it would be normally. We had been hunting for a new church when this hit, but I have known how important church online is, for quite a long time. So in some ways or us church is really good right now – we can go to church with friends in Australia and back at home in California. We can listen to amazing music and listen to powerful messages of hope from all over the world.

Figuring out the next right thing to do is the challenge. For me trying to encourage others is on the list, as is being extra grateful for all I have and being extra thankful for people who normally get taken for granted – supermarket clerks, Walmart employees, restaurant staff, truck drivers, people who work in the trades, the list gets longer the more I think about it.

I don’t know how you are going at this time but I want to encourage you especially if you are a follower of Jesus to not be afraid, and to just do the next right thing. What is the next right thing? Maybe it’s not watching the new as much and taking care of your own mental, physical and spiritual health. Maybe it’s checking in on an elderly neighbor or a friend who you know struggles with mental health issues. Maybe it is making sure the people who work in the shops and restaurants you visit that you are thankful that they are there doing the best they can to serve you. Maybe for some of you it’s looking over all that stuff you purchased in a panic and giving some of it away so that those in need can have it.

Ask God to show you what your next right thing is. I know things can seem pretty dark and lonely right now, but things will get better and maybe if we all focus doing the next right thing our lives will be better for it when this storm is over.

As with all Disney movies Frozen 2 has a happy ending, actually it is an extraordinary ending. We’ll get to a happy ending eventually too if we will seek His face, hold on to faith, accept His peace and do the next right thing.

A Prayer
Father – thank you for walking with us in the midst of this world wide storm. Help us to show our gratitude to you and to all the people who are working so that life can be as normal as possible in this time. Show each of us what next right thing you have for us to do and grant us the courage to do it. In the name of Jesus, whose next right thing bring us new life. Amen.