grieving.

Jun17

We live in a world of instant gratification.

Even the poorest among us has access to a fast food lunch, a cell phone, and/or cable television.

The problem is not all things in life can be instantly gratified. Grief is one of those things.

We want to push it away for another day. We’ve got things to do and places to go. But grief interrupts our rhythm.

The world has advanced in leaps and bounds, but our soul hasn’t. We may adjust and accommodate  and even welcome the intrusions of someone’s random thoughts posted on a social website. Yet, our soul is the bedrock of who we are and it is limited. Without recognizing those limitations we expect more than we were made to handle.

calm

 

There has to be times of calmness. We were not made to be constantly alert.

Grieving the loss of someone cannot be filed with the rest of your daily activities. It won’t allow it. Grief will demand your attention and the more you try to keep at bay the more it will intrude. Ignoring it is like ignoring a bullet wound.

You can’t.

Next post: How?

smile.

Jun12

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it’s breaking

a-womans-face-in-b-w-the-beauty-of-a-good-lived-life-thailand-integrity-intact-1_l

When there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by

you-are-my-mirror_l

If you smile through your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You’ll see the sun come shining through for you

frederick_l

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That’s the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what’s the use of crying?
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

“Smile”

Songwriters: Charles Chaplin, John Turner, Geoffrey Parsons

~~~

Photo Credit:

Sailing “Footprints: Real to Reel” (Ronn ashore) / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

 Toni Blay / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

 Toni Blay / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

give.

Jun7

Sometimes, giving out of your pain seems unattainable. That’s because you are looking to do something big.

Did you know that Jesus said the least in the kingdom is the greatest? In other words, we often look for the biggest and brightest and best of everything – when God almost always picks the smallest, and dimmest, and the least of everything.

Jesus was born in a barn. Not a castle.

Your giving can be useless and small in your eyes, but it’s a sacrifice God takes note of.

And you know something? It seems to be the secret to soothing your hurting heart — giving of yourself even when you’re sad.

-water

And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones … truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.

-The Bible

seasons.

Jun5

If you have the pleasure of living where there are 4 seasons (as defined by the clear observation of buds, green leaves, colored leaves, no leaves), then you really understand the end of one season and the beginning of another.

Looking at life as seasons really helps when you’re hurting.

season 1

Some seasons feel very long. Winter seems to hang on in some places.

Listen. There’s some pretty awful heartache out there. And your pain may feel like winter; never-ending. But I promise you that spring will come again.

So for now, it’s okay to hunker down. And wait.

full.

Jun3

Do you see the glass half full?                         glass

Or half empty?

Optimism is a choice. So is pessimism.

Which will you choose?

Life can be very difficult.

But how we look at it makes all the difference in how we proceed.

~~~

“Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of good things, and no good thing ever dies.”  -Shawshank Redemption