WAIT FOR THINGS TO TRULY UNFOLD

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THE FOUR SEASONS --- THE MEASURE OF LIFE
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Here's another one coming from the same pile; I found it closer to the bottom and was dated June 01, 2004 - Word Ministry. Unfortunately, the first two paragraphs on the sheet were torn off and the rest had turned brown with time. But as far as I can recall the article is about a man who sent off his four sons into the woods and to this particular tree and to report back to him their observations about it.
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The succeeding paragraphs unfold like this...... and to quote
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--- "When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen. The FIRST SON said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The SECOND SON said no --- it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The THIRD SON disagreed, he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen,. The LAST SON disagreed with all of them; he said that it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.
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After listening to their feedback, the man explained to his sons that they were all right, because they each seen but ONLY one season in the tree's life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season. And that the essence of who they are -- and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life -- can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.
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He further said...... If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, the fulfillment of your fall. Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don't judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come at some time or later."
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Unquote.
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And that is so true, isn't it? We each go through the seasons of life. Each season comes to touch our lives in ways authentic to its own purpose. Maybe what the father is trying to tell his sons is that life should be viewed not from the constricting point of one season or one event or one experience. Not to think that the end of the world has come because of one failure or mistake. Not to pack up our bags outright defeated just because things are not happening the way we want them to. Not to consider others as less than ourselves just because they don't think, speak, or act the way we do. Not to be too quick to push that 'react' button.
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Instead to wait for things to truly unfold. Wait for explanations. Wait for the story to finish. Wait for the dust of aggravation and strife to settle down. Wait for the time when truth reveals itself in all of its splendor.... or its opposite. Well, sometimes truth can be quite unpleasant to see or hear. But then truth is truth and off it we can better make honest judgement or measure and its corresponding course of action, be it pleasant or otherwise.
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Life is beautiful. But we must also understand that life too has its rough patches. There is both good and bad in it. Yet we shouldn't allow negativity in any form, ours or that of others, to spoil what we have in terms of joy, fulfillment, and happiness.... or quench our hope of having more of those we treasure and value most. God planned us for happiness. Happiness is indeed our worthy portion. That is truly by divine design.
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Blessings, everyone!

 

 

WHAT YOU DO WITH PAIN RATHER THAN WHAT IT DOES TO YOU IS FAR MORE ESSENTIAL

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An online friend once remarked in jest.... 'You smile to the world like you never knew pain. What a good life you must have.'
That's farthest from the truth; simply absurd. But if you don't mind I will consider that as a compliment though. You don't get to hear something like that everyday! So thank you, just the same.

As it's been said 'everybody has a story and is a story', right? I'm not different because I also have my story.

But I don't do Facebook to tell my story. It has its own place and time. A public place such as this is definitely not that place and time.

Pain. Now that is among the most spoken of or written about word in every history. It's experienced by every living thing, two-legged or four-legged, on our planet. Pain comes in many ways, in different seasons or time, for a diversity of reasons or causes, and in different shapes, forms, or sizes. 

It holds tightly in its grip the whole range of human existence..... the emotions, intellect, spiritual, physical, social, and every interaction feasible to our existence. Am I saying where there is interaction there will be pain, too? Following the principle of cause and effect, I'm saying possibly yes. Pain is an effect (one of several others more) caused by something or someone or sometimes even by the self. 

What do we do with pain? As we see it in people around us or in our own lives we either react to it ...or respond to it... as in fight it or take flight far away from it. 

I have learned through the years that.....'Reacting' could maybe make us even more miserable as it's done with the absence of thought. 'Responding', in effect, could take us to a higher plane of understanding and growth. 'Fighting' it could achieve for us strength of character... while 'taking flight' makes us even weaker in mind, heart, and spirit. 

Pain simply sits alongside its buddies... hurt, sadness, loneliness, frustration, disappointment, bitterness, depression, resentment, discouragement, confusion, and its other members of the same negative pack. They may seem or mean to break you but it can't succeed when you don't let them. They can't hurt you when you won't give them consent to do so.

Therefore, It can be said that what you do with pain (and its friends) rather than what it does to you is that which matters most, in any language. You define you. Nobody else will or can do that for you. 'Life is what you make it', so said a wise person.

And I would like to add....
Let your heart smile through all of life. There's always some reason to smile.

Blessings from above to everybody!