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Being a caring and compassionate person has a down side. Certain things may bother me that others might not even concern someone else. My personality makes Monday’s a difficult day for me. Sundays are busy and a day to interact with a large group of people. This is wonderful in many ways. I am able to catch up on many people’s lives and seeing where God is truly working in lives. But not all is so much of a blessing. I also see and hear about some who are suffering. There are physical illnesses that touch lives and even more are bearing emotional crosses that are quite heavy. So, Mondays are a day for processing all that I took in on Sunday.
I sit in my office and look at my prayer list. I rejoice in being able to take some names off of it and writing how God has answered the prayers. I then add the names of those who I notice are suffering in a variety of ways. My heart aches as I think of those whose lives are less than ideal. Some have even drifted away from their first love -God. I know I cannot solve another’s problems but I do feel their pain and am aware that only God can bring lasting and meaningful healing.
As I started to write this blog I was feeling a bit down at all who are going through their valley of the shadow of death but suddenly I realize that I am only human and God is God. May God life all our hearts to His goodness.
Walking my dog is not easy in this hot weather. Even he does not like to be outside that much. But today as I was coming back home I saw my grandson walking toward me. I could tell from his face something was wrong. It was such a problem that he had a hard time expressing what was going on in his life. He had cut his foot and tears were following to the ground as he explained his ‘hurt.’
So, I did what all good grandparents do. I took him in my arms and hugged him tightly. Of course I had to look at the hurt and tell him that all would be fine. In his case I also had to sit down and watch a ‘veggie tale’ story. I don’t claim to be an expert on medical problems but I do know how to comfort a three year old that is hurting. One of the lessons that came to me is that I need to listen more to the hurts of others. Perhaps my simple listening and truly caring can bring healing to those who are crying out for help.
I am a blessed person. I have not kept count but I have received many cards and notes expressing sympathies since the death of my father. These many expressions of love have caused me to see how blessed I really am. For me it is too easy to overlook what is right before me.
When I am blind to the goodness all around me then my life becomes unbalanced. This can cause me to become more pessimistic than realistic. But what bothers me most is that I miss out on the good in life and lose some of the joy of living.
I want to live life to the fullest. I don’t want to waste a minute being miserable. I have already wasted too many minutes. So, these words are written for me. May I continue to see how blessed I am.
Feeling helpless is not fun. Personally it makes me sad to not be able to solve many of life’s mysteries. One of my emails told of a person I know who is battling a life threatening illness. He is suffering in many ways I can only imagine. Truthfully, I hate this happening. I am praying for God to bring healing and at the same time I wish I could do more.
But that is one of my fundamental problems in life. I am not God. It is so easy to write those words and yet ignore the importance of that fact. Only God is God and only God is in control of life. I am a limited being who can only do what God allows and gives me the wisdom and strength to do.
Once I get this thought into my life -really get it deep into my being -then I can relax and just let life happen. Part of the joy of life comes about in realizing who really is in charge.
As I started my day I noticed several prayer requests on my desk and on the web. Some of these caused me to reading them again and to not only prayer for the requests but to feel the pain of those asking for prayer. Reading them caused me to realize my limitation again. I cannot solve all the problems of the world and some of those in pain may not be given the answer I would like them to receive. My heart hurts for those who are in situations that no matter which way they turn there is pain.
Even as my heart is aching and feeling the pain I also realize that there is some good in the hurt. There are many who are reaching out to those hurting souls. I thank God for those caring and compassionate people in life who do make a huge difference in this world just by being themselves. Also bringing thanks my way is the thought of how blessed I am to not at the moment being caught in some form of hurting. I have many blessings and one of them is that today I am without any serious pain.
Sometimes I don’t like some of my personality and ways. But today I am grateful for a caring heart that feels not only my own pain but the hurt of others as well.