Uphill

There are so many situations in my world that I can’t fix or repair right now. So many times I want to flip a switch and make everything OK.

But, I know I can’t. That’s not the way life works is it?

It’s crazy how all the blessings we take for granted in life, and what has to happen in order for us to realize we can never let one second of joy escape us.
Life is hard enough without having to dwell on situations we can’t relinquish.
So many times I talk about forgiveness and putting things in the past, yet it’s difficult to achieve. We all know forgiveness is sometimes hard and forgetting is most of the time impossible. Our heart just can’t entirely let go.

What if we could go back and change all the situations we have messed up?

What if we had a big life eraser to blot out the mistakes?

I think we all have regrets in living. That’s an easy one to agree on, but can we forget the regrets we have and move on?

Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.”

C.S. Lewis

Can we live with the mistakes we make? And how can we save ourselves the pain and not make them in the first place?

I don’t know if it’s harder to forgive and forget other’s choices or our own. They say we only have to live with our own decisions, but is that really true?

Sometimes I believe we live with the choices of others, but maybe that’s because we choose to. Let’s face it relationships should be, but aren’t always, 50/50. We would be lying to ourselves if we thought one person doesn’t give more than the other. The best thing we can hope for is we aren’t always the only one giving.

I guess the only truth worse than living with a wounded relationship is worrying about someone you love living in one. We all want to be happy, and we want that for our loved ones as well. It’s hard to watch someone we care so much about struggle, and it’s even worse realizing we can’t nor we should try to fix it.

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 7:12

People generally have a valid reason for feeling the way they do. Not that it’s always accurate, but you can’t constantly help how you feel.

We can all be selfish at times, downright stubborn, or we can be forgiving and empathetic. Either way it doesn’t make it a given that you are going to be on the positive side. Relationships take work and until both parties are ready to meet in the middle and compromise it’s never going to get resolved. 

I was having a conversation with my daughter today regarding something she was upset about. She said it wasn’t fair. I thought to myself…we are going to talk about life being fair?

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

John 14:27

I didn’t want to go down that road with her because ultimately what I consider “unfair” in life affects her as well. If we want to have that conversation I can pretty much spend hours building my case. Fact of the matter is life is NOT fair. I will just go ahead and get that out of the way. If you think you are owed anything, then step off your high and mighty and have a seat.

I proceeded to tell my daughter that if she thinks life is going to EVER be easy, then she needs to change her attitude. Go ahead and count on life being hard. An uphill road. A constant struggle. Disappointment. Sadness. Pain. Heartbreak. Depend on life being a battle and count your blessings when something good happens or works out in your favor.

I say this because life is an uphill road with a mirage of twists and turns. Don’t expect anything more and you won’t be disappointed.

We are all fighting to stay afloat. We have all been violated or mistreated or dealt a difficult hand. We are all struggling with something going on in our life. Don’t play the victim, don’t hold a grudge, don’t let people take advantage of you, but do be the better person in the situation.

Maybe we can’t always take the higher road, but just remember life is hardly ever fair. And, we were never promised it would be.

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Psalm 62:8

I pray for peace in all of our hearts, that we can find joy somewhere. Remember our struggles are to make us stronger in our faith and prepare us for what’s to come. With each tribulation I wonder what suffering will transpire, but it is not my story to write, nor my worry.

It is hard to trust in what we cannot see, but we aren’t suppose to lean on our own understanding. Dig deep, grasp your faith, pray, trust not in your own understanding. Affliction builds strength, but we must not walk alone. Build faith, learn to trust, study God’s word, and work against negative forces.

I’ve realized this walk will take years, perhaps a lifetime. But, I have my road map. I just have to study it, and trust it’s meant to get me where I’m going.