Life’s Lemonade Lesson #3

Join the Something Uncomfortable movement on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SomethingUncomfortableSteppingFromFearToFreedom

Life’s Lemonade Lesson #1: Go out of your way to be thankful and never miss an opportunity to lift someone up.

Life’s Lemonade Lesson #2: Don’t let your kids get away with murder just because life is hard right now.

Life’s Lemonade Lesson #3: Don’t let insensitive people make you feel guilty because you are struggling with your current situation.

Let me start by saying that my family and I have been surrounded by an overwhelming amount of love, support, help and prayer throughout this meningitis nightmare. I honestly do NOT know how we would have survived without them and we are forever grateful.

However… a couple of people made some cutting comments while I was in the hospital that I have really struggled with. Instead of dwelling on their negativity, I’m trying to focus on what God might be trying to teach me through their insensitive words. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

It’s alright to struggle. God allows us to struggle because He draws us closer to Him when we do. In our darkest, most painful moments, we realize just how much we need Him. And if we are smart, we will hang on to Him and stay focused on that need when life gets better.

There will always be someone who is in a situation that is “worse” than the one you are experiencing. There will always be babies starving in Africa… someone who just lost a loved one… a person suffering from a more painful illness… and someone who suddenly lost everything. But other people’s “worse” situations shouldn’t make us feel guilty about our “lesser” misery. Instead, our misery should make us more compassionate about those that are also struggling.

It’s alright to feel. It’s alright to be depressed because an illness hurts really badly and you are quarantined in the hospital for 5 days. It’s alright to be down because you don’t like your job. It’s alright to struggle because you feel lonely. It IS alright to feel.

But it’s NOT alright to wallow. So instead of letting those not-so-nice comments get to you, use your pain as motivation to help someone else… even if it’s just to pray for them. The devil wants nothing more than to make us feel alone and he has no problem getting ugly to make that happen. Feel what you need to feel but do it without letting him win.