ALL FOR A GOOD REASON --- YOU

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'Everything happens for a reason.' -- I have heard that spoken and written about for hundreds of times then and now.

When fortunes crumble, relationships disintegrate, dreams melt away, or hopes get snuffed out just like that....  they say it must be for some reason. But even to the wisest of men its reason or reasons may not be known right away, except for those already visible to the eye. Oddly its true understanding enlightenment or explanation would come much much later when the dust would have already settled down, so to speak. A dear friend, who I will always remember, said this .. 'Wait and you will know.'
 
I  have always thought that waiting would be too late. Because the hurt, pain, disappointment, frustration, sadness, sorrow experienced would have already taken its heavy toll and leave deep scars both in the mind and heart.... and to the body as well as anxiety would have worn it down, too. All seemingly beyond repair. Or so it all seemed.

But my friend insisted... 'Wait and you will know.'

To cut a long story short, I did wait.

Time took over.

And one by one the reason or reasons unfolded itself to me. Amazingly.

I have learned....  It is when one has learned to receive peace, learned to forgive, learned to adjust one's sails on the turbulent seas of life, grown by leaps and bounds in maturity, gained a better self-worth, and seen the world and its people for its myriad of flaws and imperfections that one is able to see... truly see beyond all of that pain and hurt. And finally begin to understand the why's of it all. And best of all learn even more.. so much more. To be healed and joy be restored abundantly is its reward.

Everything happens for a reason. Definitely it's for a good reason --- You! By God's design. 
Be kind to yourself; wait where the waiting should.
Don't lose your smile. God will make the waiting worthwhile.
Blessings, everyone!

GOD, TEACH ME

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When I saw this in my inbox this morning, I couldn't let it go. It's such a beautiful prayer. Such blessed comfort. Had to bring it here because I know that somebody somewhere today needs to see this too. Blessings to you all!
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God teach me to be patient, teach me to go slow,
Teach me how to wait on You when my way I do not know.

Teach me sweet forbearance when things do not go right
So I remain unruffled when others grow uptight.

Teach me how to quiet my racing, rising heart
So I might hear the answer You are trying to impart.

Teach me to let go, dear God, and pray undisturbed until
My heart is filled with inner peace and I learn  to know Your will

By Helen Steiner

(Thanks, Mr. Quote Man; it's appreciated. And thanks to the internet for such apt images.)

I HAVE LEARNED THAT.....

“I’ve learned that I can’t choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.”

I like that line. Why? Because I’ve heard it often people say that they can’t help feel a certain way (predominantly downbeat) – that they can’t do anything about it. Don’t you think that’s simply an admission of weakness and defeat -- Two things which we should never allow to set in our life?

I agree that it requires a mind of steel to veer away from feelings which grip you like a vise but if those feelings can’t provide you with a general state of calm or peace, then wouldn’t it be just right to do something about it? Why choose to remain at a place where ugly emotions such as anger, jealousy, fear, vengeance, envy, etc. gnaw at your sense of well-being? Why not try to shift gear and take it to an upbeat situation or course thereby serving a better purpose? You can’t let those ugly emotions ride or control you, especially when you know that it is hurting another person or better yet hurting you. I’ve learned that much.

You can certainly choose what to do about it. It’s been said that mainly there are two approaches to a problem – one is to solve the problem, the other is to change your attitude towards the problem. With feelings you either stay with it or decide what to do about it.

“I’ve learned that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.”

Oh how I know that! I’ve climbed lots of mountains and trekked rugged roads in this life journey. Each not bigger or larger than the other because all were HUGE! Climbing or walking them gave me bruised hands and calloused feet. I got scars from it – emotional scars.

Life’s problems don’t leave us unscathed by it all. It leaves its mark on us, no doubt about it. But you know what, where it hurts us most is where we can experience happiness and growth at its very best.

You probably may have gone through a very difficult phase or situation in life, struggled with it, put in everything you know how, gave it your best shot. And then finally succeeded with it! Remember how you felt with that? The sense of achievement, of learning how strong you can be, of seeing your stack of wisdom grow by leaps and bounds, and of having your cup of joy spill over the brim. Wonderful, isn’t it?

You wouldn’t get that at the mountain top. Rather it’s found as you journey to the top of the mountain.

“I’ve learned that the Lord didn’t do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?”

Yes, impatience ‘kills’ me. That’s what Mom would always say to me. Things have to be done in the shortest possible time with results following right at its heels. I fret when they don’t. I always believed that time is not to be wasted, that one should do-do-do or work-work-work to get things done pronto!

Impatience was a flaw, I say ‘was’ because I think that I have learned my lesson. Or maybe it has something to do with getting older too. Or maybe Mom finally got through to me. Oh boy! Anyway I have learned that impatience is not a virtue – no matter what some smart aleck says to the contrary claiming that it pushes a person to do more and better. Do more - maybe but better I doubt it. That’s not certainly the case although some genius in our midst may be the exception but rarely.

The average normal person would largely benefit with a process that is well-thought out, studied carefully, and smartly carried out. And this would take TIME, and time requires PATIENCE. Patience to sit down to paperwork or research or brainstorming or to wait for an opportune moment to invest one’s time, energy, and money or to wait till the right puzzle pieces are in place before taking the first momentous step. Don’t you think it is less risk that way?

PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE

Impatience – I see it everyday, in the man waiting in line at the bus ticket window, in the boss who’s calling for his staff to submit their respective reports pronto, in the mother who yells at her young kid having a loud tantrum, in the customer who’s waiting for the sales clerk to get back with her shoe size, or some other episode like it somewhere else you look. And yes I do see myself in it or other similar situations in my day. Funny thing too is that I think it’s not me but the other person as the one at fault and causing much of my annoyance.

Oh yeah I remember like Mom used to say ‘Honey, it’s easier to point the finger at someone else rather than point the finger at yourself.’

But I countered with ‘Mom, I wouldn’t be this irritated if they would simply do their job right!’

And do you know what she’d say to that? ‘Nothing always goes the way you like it -- Maybe sometimes but not every time. Things can go crazy somewhere there and you just have to learn to deal with it.’

‘Things can go crazy…’ Yeah, come to think of it, how sure are we that the ticket machine won’t jam on this particular day, or that an employee would get the flu on deadline day, or that the kid is sick or something, or that the sales clerk got buried under heaps of shoe boxes as it got accidentally knocked down in the store room? We’re never sure that everything will work 100% all of the time, that things will always be there when you need it, that people will be at their top energy levels 24/7. That’s not the way things work out. Things can and will go crazy, like it or not.

‘..learn to deal with it’ Okay, maybe we can try for some bit of creativity to this perennial dilemma in our lives. How bout…

-take a book along to the bus terminal, read it while you wait for your turn at the counter machine

-setting a pseudo deadline for your staff to work towards, maybe just a day or two off from the actual deadline thus giving a margin for replacements to fill in for ‘no show’

-do the cooking or other chores at a set time before the kid is fully awake, and keep your bonding time with him strictly your time with him with no interruptions

-while the sales clerk is in the stock room, browse through the other shelves and check out the shoes you’d like to buy next time or something which might interest your daughter, or call up the maid at home and check if she finished with the ironing.

There will be other interesting ways one can think of or devise to downplay impatience or maybe crush it to smithereens. Anything that will get your nerves and blood pressure cool and steady or give you the chance to be nice to the people around you is worth the investment in patience for. It will be worth all that effort.

And if still that doesn’t work, raise your eyes to the heavens and pray “Lord, grant me patience!”

Patience is the ability to idle your motor
when you feel like stripping your gears. (Anonymous)