Good Morning Guys & Dolls

 

I woke up this morning counting my blessings, which are many. The one thing I am most thankful for, at the moment, is that I have not forgotten to look for the blessings during my darkest, most painful moments. They are always there. But sometimes, when we are discouraged, weary, in a lot of pain or overwhelmed, we lose our bearings. It's hard to stay focused when we've lost a lot of sleep, hurt, or have more than one thing at a time to deal with.
   
What has helped me most, is remembering to start my morning with the Lord. I thank Him for the day's gift of life, then thank Him for being willing to listen to me, and give me answers. He always does.
       A dear friend asked me, not long ago, why I thought she had such a hard time with her faith."It's up, then down." she told me. "And you know I love the Lord and DO believe in Him."
     I thought about her question for awhile, then told her I felt that she was forgetting something. What she was forgetting is that she is no different than the precious people in the Bible. Every one of them, I told her, struggled with their faith at times. We are all strong, I said, but not always. We have faith, but at times it might  waver. The fact that it does, doesn't mean we no longer have faith. It just means that perhaps we've not kept it as active as we should have. Faith, when not put to use, is nothing but a five letter word. We've all been given a measure of faith. How large and strong a faith we have, will depend upon how active we keep it.
  
     If your day is going badly, if you are afraid, feeling insecure, worried about loved ones, are sick, lost, or wondering what to do about your situation, know you are in my prayers, every morning, every night.
     Sometimes it seems, I know, as if  nothing will ever get better. It seems like the harder you try, the worse things get. I know that feeling, have felt it many times. And it is painful. But when things are difficult, we have to keep on keeping on, always reminding ourselves that it won't always rain, that even if we cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, it IS there, and one day we WILL be able to see it.
   
     We have to reach out to others, even if we may be shy about it, have never done it before. Trust me, there are people  who would reach out to you, if only they were made aware of your need.
     I want to take a minute here, to thank those of you who have taken time for me. You've taken time to comment on what I write, even though it may not be something you're particularly interested in. You've taken time to email me, just to say hello, and ask how I am doing. You've gone out of your way to make me know that I matter. For that I am, and will ever be, eternally grateful.
 

     As I always say, and have become even more aware of how true it is, since my husband is on hospice, life is but a wisp of smoke- here, then gone. I encourage  you to create a special memory today.