This one is pretty long, but well worth reading. So grab a cup of coffee if you must, and get comfortable. You're gonna be in The Den for a while.
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On Monday, one of my coworkers told me that her son's former Spanish teacher died. It was very sudden and no one knew yet what had happened.
Later that afternoon it was confirmed that she had committed suicide.
We all just shook our heads. Regardless of whether we knew her or not, it's just so sad when someone is in such despair that the only way out (at least in their mind) is to end it all.
Many would look at my life and possibly decide that it is a life not worth living. At the very least, no one's lining up to trade their lives for mine. I'm single, raising 3 kids on very little money, living in an apartment that is far too small, driving the cheapest car on the market. I'm fat. I'm Black. And the possibility of anyone loving me is slim to none. No my friends, not many people would trade their lives for mine.
Yet I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's, and I surely wouldn't end it.
Yes, I'm single and although my choice would be to journey through this life with that special man, I'm well aware of the fact that I entered this life alone, and I'll exit alone. So in the meantime, I'm going to do all that I can to make this a life worth living.
Yes, I have very little money. But I know what it's like to have even less. I truly know what it means to have 10 cents to my name, because I've had days where all I had (in the bank and in my pocket) was only 10 cents. But I lived that day with 10 cents, went to sleep and woke up the next day. Not any richer, but ALIVE. And in the end, that's really all that matters. Money will come and money will go, but LIFE can not be replaced.
Yes, my apartment is small and although most of my friends live in homes far bigger and much prettier than mine, I am thankful each and every time I step foot in MY home. Many would love to have this tiny place to call theirs. I, am blessed to be able to do so.
Yes , my car is the cheapest one on the market. Not European made. Not Japanese. Not American. It's just a car. But it gets me where I need to go each day, and for me...that's really all that I need it to do. Yes, a nicer car would be nice, but I'm not trippin' over the fact that I don't have one.
Yes, I'm fat. And I seem to be getting bigger by the day (stress and lack of time for fitness). This alone would cause some to want to "check out", because FAT (according to society's standard) is the worst thing a person could be. A person could be a liar, a cheater, a thief...and people would overlook those characteristics. But to be FAT...WHOA!!!
Yes, I'm Black. And you know what...I can't change that. You wanna know somethin' else...I wouldn't change it even if I could.
Yes, I am journeying through this life alone and would love to be loved, yet love doesn't seem to be heading in my direction. Oh well.
So as you can see, it appears as though the cards are stacked against me. Yet even with those cards, I still find reason to wake up every morning. And I thank God for each and every day that He gives me. With each new day I have new hope. You see, I...am hopeFULL, not hopeLESS.
Regardless of what life throws at you, and life will throw plenty at you...you MUST know that there is ALWAYS hope. ALWAYS. In Christ Jesus, there is ALWAYS hope.
So for anyone who's feeling down and out, feeling like they can't go on...to you my friend, I say this...give tomorrow a chance. Please. Be hopeFULL, not hopeLESS.
Let the DIALOGUE begin! What (or Who) gives you hope?
Talk to me!
Til next time...
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Me personally, I think I'm an optimist just from sheer practicality. Sure, I get depressed, and I even think depression is HEALTHY to a certain extent. Depressed feelings are like pain, they motivate you to do something to get rid of them. After that, though, the only course is to be hopeful. Anything less will not serve up the best results. I read somewhere recently, maybe on here for all I know, but they were talking about the time before cars, when everyone utilized horses. The horse droppings were considerable. It was a problem. And then, like magic, people started using the crap for fertilizer on the farm. Problem solved. It was a simple matter, really. There just had to be a use for the stuff. So, a lot of problems can be solved, we just don't know the solution yet. The news slants everything towards tragic mode in order to gain viewers/readers. Nothing ever seems to be as bad as we think it is. Fortunes are happening to people all the time that don't make the news. So, assuming that things will turn out good unless proven otherwise is a great strategy, I think. I would rather ponder the solution than accept the defeat any day of the month. Pessimists have a hard time being happy, that's just a fact they don't like to hear about.
ReplyDeleteThere's that old saying, "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade". And I ask myself, "When did lemons become a bad thing?" I LOVE lemons. But someone, somewhere, decided that lemonade was the best thing to do with unfortunate result of having lemons. I see great uses for lemons, as they are when they fall off the tree, or in lemonade. Either way, they're yummy. "Depressed feelings are like pain, they motivate you to do something to get rid of them." Yes they do! Or at least they should. Whether it's turning lemons into lemonade, or horse droppings into useful fertilizer, there IS good to be found in EVERY situation. We just have to find it. That good will ONLY be found when you give LIFE a chance.
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