It could always be worse

Friday

It could always be worse

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:7

As cliché’ as it sounds, my final lesson from 2012 is that it can always be worse.  If you think that way, it changes your perception of just about everything.  It’s usually your perception that needs changing, more than anything else. 

There is a story of a man on an airplane with three small children and the kids are acting unruly and completely out of control.  Everyone thought so poorly of the man, letting his kids act out the way they did.  Until that is, someone confronted him and asked him to please get control of his kids.  “I’m sorry,” he replied, “My wife, their mother, just died and we just left the funeral.”  At that moment, everything changed for the other passengers and they saw the man in a different light.

So, when you are burdened down with your life, use the cliché’, it could always be worse.  I’ve won that discussion many times, many people have felt sorry for me since I lost both of my parents together, at a young age.   But really, I knew my parents and had 15 great years with them.  Some people have never met their parents; some people have parents that treated them terribly.  I’m not making light of happened to me, but I’m saying, it could be worse. 

I can give hundreds of examples here, but I suggest you figure it out on your own the next time you are having a pity party.  I can only say this because I’ve had so many of these “parties” myself. 

  

Dear Lord, help me to realize You direct my path for a reason, even though I can’t always understand it.  Help me to accept what You’ve given me and be happy in the process.    Amen.