Curve balls, bumps in the road, tears, friends and prayers

Have you ever experienced a moment of emotional pain so intense that you struggle to breathe, as if someone punched you in the throat and gut?  Have you ever felt so low that the light at the end of the tunnel is invisible?  Have you ever felt so weak that your legs felt too much like jelly to carry you further?  If you have answered no - then congratulations, you are a robot :)  Everybody hurts sometime...

During the past two weeks I have heard countless people say: "Love hurts.", "Life is unfair", "Life is hard", "why me?", "I don't deserve this."  So much pain!  Lets examine each of these statements...

"Love hurts."

I have said in my previous posts that love doesn't hurt, the absence thereof however, does hurt - and I still stick by it.  The Bible teaches us of what love is, take a look:

1 Corinthians 13 (KJV):

¹Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
⁴Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
⁵Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
⁶Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
⁷Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
⁸Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
¹⁰But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
¹¹When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
¹²For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
¹³And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Charity = love

Now, I shall ask - does love hurt?  No, love is the purest and most beautiful gift we posses, which we ought to give freely, without asking anything in return.  Yet so many of us mistake need, infatuation and obsession for love.  Love has no boundaries, no limits, no conditions.  Love flows through us, by the grace and power of God.  This means that it is our obligation to love FREELY, and UNCONDITIONALLY.

People attach too many negative connotations to the word love.  If you scroll back through my blog, you will see that I have talked about this extensively :)

"Life is unfair, life is hard"

Nobody ever said it would be fair.  The human element to life makes the question of what is fair, what is unfair, a very subjective debate.  When you get hurt - you will immediately feel done in, that life handed you some bad cards, however, when all is right in the world, you sing songs of praise. The bottom line?  It is what it is.  When you're going through a rough patch, ALWAYS remember: this too, shall pass.  Life's ups and downs make the ride worthwhile. 

Life itself is the biggest adventure you can ask for - each day is a new blank page, which YOU must fill.  You write your story as you pass every minute.  What will your story be like when the pages run out?  Is it a story you would be proud to share with the world?

Do not cry over that which you cannot change - rather spend your time and invest your energy into changing that which you have control over.  Take up the challenge that is your own life, and ride the wave!  Every obstacle, every mountain, makes you stronger.  God will never bring you to it if He won't help you through it.  God will never put something on your plate that you cannot stomach.  So take heart in the knowledge that you are strong enough to overcome anything - with God at your side, the air in your lungs, the blood in your veins and the courage in your heart, you ARE an unstoppable force!

"Why me?"

Now I will ask you, why NOT you?  If not you, then who?  If not now, when?  Never ask why me, stand tall and shout, "TRY ME!!"

When you fail to learn a lesson in life - it will repeat itself until you grasp and internalize the concept.  Why?  Each and every experience put across your path is like a step up on a flight of stairs, you cant climb up unless you take it step by step.  You are thus exercising your muscles to become stronger, for new experiences, to climb the stairs - to reach the top and marvel at how far you have come.

Take heart in the fact that you are not the only one feeling as though there is too much on your plate - small bites and before you know it, the next course arrives and I mean, who doesn't love dessert, right? ;)

"I don't deserve this."

How was the phoenix born?  Out of ashes.  Out of pain and destruction, new life grows.  Like the Japanese proverb says: "fall 7 times, stand up 8."  It's not the fall that matters - its how and when you get up and try again, that matters.

Also note that - whatever you send out into the world, you receive back.  So this situation might have two causes:  You must re-examine your words, your actions, keep them in check, and always, ALWAYS do unto others as you would like done unto yourself.  It could also be a test, a purification of spirit.  Trials and tribulations are never for nothing - you live, you learn.  Do not dwell on the pain, learn from it and move on - leaving the pain behind.  Lighten the load.  How to do this?  It can be summarized very easily:  Eat.  Pray.  Love.

Eat with your mouth, that which does your body good, that which fulfills you.  Eat with your eyes, the beauty of the world around you.  Eat with your ears, the beautiful noise of that which is around you. 

Pray, pray often.  Talk to God, open up your heart to feel yourself filled by His love, His grace - the perfect love.

Love - with all your heart, all day, every day.  It is the gift that keeps on giving.

Now - when a curve ball is thrown in your direction, catch it!  You are that skilled!  Play ball, baby, this is what is expected of you!  When you see a bump in the road, get your skateboard and do some awesome moves, this is what is expected of you!

If you feel overwhelmed, cry - let it out.  Tears wash our souls and hearts clean, lightening the load.  So let your tears wash away the murk and smile :)

Never be afraid to ask the help of your friends, that is after all, what friends are for.  They sing us the song of our heart, when we forgot the melody.  Friends are angels, picking us up when we have fallen.  Friends are one of God's many ways of showing how especially fond of you, He is.

Never stop believing, never give up hope - never stop praying.  Prayer directly connects you to the most powerful entity in this entire world - God.  He never forsakes you.  He never "puts down the phone" on you.  He loves you ALWAYS, He carries you ALWAYS.

Take heart - for this too, shall pass. :)

With this post today, I send a prayer.  I pray that you will open your eyes, and see that life is in fact beautiful.  I pray that you will have the strength and courage to stand up.  I pray that you will never be too weighed down to give back to the world, to smile and appreciate the small and the big blessings in your life.  I pray that you will never stop believing.  I pray that the Lord will bless you, and keep you, and heal your pain.  I might or might not know you, but I love you :)