In The End

In the end, nothing we do or say in this lifetime will matter as much as the way we have loved one another.—Daphne Rose Kingma

Our words matter; they can scar and wound, or heal and help. Every person you see is fighting a battle; we all are hurt in some way.   Life is a struggle and a battle.  We can meet it head on victoriously, charging into the day to conquer and restore, or we can sit on the sidelines and complain, or worse yet, just exist.  There are disappointments and hurts; there is discouragement and set backs, but these life events do not have to be our legacy.  The loss, hurt and pain is not the end of our hopes and dreams; it can be just a change of plans, a new beginning.  It all depends on our attitude and perception.   We can experience joy if we want to.  We can experience love, even when in pain.  We can experience gain even when suffering a loss.  When we take our eyes off of ourselves and out of self-pity we move out of the pit of depression we have fallen into.  We are able to move through the valleys and move onto the mountains where our view is unobstructed.  

I am not saying that you don't feel pain or that you should, or even can, ignore the pain, hurt and sorrow that life can bring.  We all experience that.  But you can have joy every morning, every day, all through the day if you can just claim it.  I am not talking about the "name it and claim it" doctrine that was being widely preached a few years ago.  I am talking about really understanding how fortunate we really are to be living in this country, how blessed we are, what a wonderful God we serve, and knowing deep in our hearts that He has good for us, and not harm, that He has a plan for you.  Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, " Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you, hope and a future."

Philippians 4:4  "Rejoice in the LORD always.  And again I say Rejoice!" 

Look for the person you can lift up and watch how you are lifted up.  Look for what God is doing around you and ask Him if you can join Him.  Sometimes we should do just that, rather then to ask and wait to see what He would have us do.  Jump in there and do things with Him.  

I know what that feels like to have suffered the loss of a loved one, someone who is gone too soon.  If you are hurting badly from such a loss and find it impossible to think of others, if you are in a place that you  can't think of the next thing you need to do, if you feel the darkness around you like a wall, then reach out to your friends and family.  don't try to hide it with deeds.  I am not saying that at all.  Pain is pain and we all feel it.  Talk to someone, ask for prayer, move in your walk through this dark valley.  You don't have to go through this thing alone.  Let others help you bring love to life inside of you.   Ecclesiastes 4:10 "If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them." There are certain things that happen to us that take time to heal.  But don't let this thing become your life; lead your life through it.  Tragedy and loss becomes a part of us and a part of our life.  But we don't have to let it define who we are, where we go or how far we can go.  If you need help healing, ask for it.  Seek out those in counseling who are trained and raised up with a true relationship with God.   

Psalm 17:6 "I call on you, oh God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer."
Move forward, reach out for help, reach out to others who need help.  Where there is healing, there is hope.  When we help others heal, we learn; when we learn, we grow.  When we grow, we move forward.  When we feel good about ourselves, we can make others feel good about themselves. 

Don't worry about messing up; God isn't about rules, He is about forgiveness, He is about love.  Besides, He already knew you would do that when He formed you in your mother's womb.  And, He loves you.  Through His forgiveness, there is freedom.  There is freedom to move, to live, to dream, to succeed, to have joy.  

God never promised it would be easy, but He did promise it would be worth it.  

If you need prayer, leave your prayer request in the comments and you will be prayed for.  God bless you.