We tend to take family and family togetherness for granted, until the day arrives when we no longer have it, then regret sets in. Be present in your own life, be grateful, be thankful. Cherish your family - you will be grateful along the line. Family is a support system, a safety net. You can laugh and be utterly silly with family, and they are morally obligated not allowed to walk away, because blood is thicker than water :)
Sometimes patience runs out, take a breath, smile, be kind. Be the child, mother, father, sister, brother, cousin, niece you would like someone to be to you. Nothing negative can come of this, try it, you'll be amazed at the results.
My parents have taught me something important - in their house, there is always room for one more, and one more. They never shut anyone out, or ignore people. Everyone is important, everyone gets treated well. This results in people wanting to come visit all the time, because there is love and acceptance. I want to have that aura about me, and my home...friends, family and even strangers should always feel welcome in your presence, as well as your home.
Something else happened though, which left me with chills, to my very core...and not the good kind. When you realize that those you are supposed to look up to, have feet made of clay, the world starts spinning in the wrong direction. All of this got me thinking.
I must confess that, for a moment or so, my heart was in turmoil. My inner balance was disturbed. Disappointment is not a comfortable feeling. When your expectations of people are high, and they do not measure up to standard, it leads to disappointment - that is where I was Sunday evening, disappointment avenue. I was angry, I felt betrayed. When in such a situation, the most important question to ask, is, is this worth losing balance for? More often than not, the answer is no.
How do you go about restoring balance? I struggled with this all through yesterday. I do believe that God never meant for us to live in bitterness, anger, resentment and hate. However, these emotions can be overpowering if you let them simmer. So the first thing to do, would be to observe your feelings, ask yourself, why am I feeling what I am feeling? Will it benefit my life, my soul? If you can transform these emotions into something positive - more power to you. If, however they are only detrimental, they must be confronted. You cannot do this alone, I couldn't. I started praying, focusing on changing my heart, to let go.
We often forget how powerful prayer is, for when you call the Lord's name, you call upon Him, you summon Him. How can He not listen to a beautiful plea of love and forgiveness? I prayed, less of me, more of Him. Almost instantly, it was as if a cloud lifted. It might be hard, but at some point in life, you have to learn to let go and let God. We tend to forget this, trying to save the day ourselves, but it does not work this way - I rediscovered this again yesterday.
I forgave last night, which also meant that I could set myself free of all the negative emotions that cling to disappointment. Letting go is the right thing to do. You set yourself and others free this way. Leaving them in God's hands. This could be the safest, but also most fearful place to be, however, it's the best place to be.
Also, I am here to tell you, I love you. I might not know you, or see you often, but, I love you, for God created you. :) :) Give love unto others, start with yourself, cast your net of love over your family, then your friends, then strangers. The world can never have enough love.
"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire." - Ferdinand Foch
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