I’ve had plenty of trials in my life, heartaches, lack of worldly advantages, etc., so I write out of my own experience, in the “meager” pain I’ve lived through. But sometimes when I edit my blogs, I start thinking about people I have heard speak about horrendous things that have happened to them, who were abused beyond comprehension or who did horrendous things and lived to regret them. A group of big city people came to speak at our small-town church once and I will never forget them. The testimonies they gave were both shocking and heart wrenching. I don’t remember specifics as it was some time ago, but I remember the shock that permeated the sanctuary full of average people like myself who had never lived through what these rehabilitated people had. I think a lot of eyes and minds were opened that day. Hearts were filled with sympathy as well as a kind of determination to overcome our own issues from knowing the strength of their courage in overcoming their insurmountable burdens, addictions, and pasts. I think I could almost feel the gratitude that those sitting in those pews felt, myself included, to be shown that no matter how much we have gone through, our lives are amazingly “normal” and free of the horrific things that some people on this planet go through.
Don’t ever think your story isn’t worth telling. Your courage, whatever the trial, in going through and getting to the other side could well be someone else’s eye-opening moment. It could help them see there is another side to it, or there is a light at the end of the tunnel that they need to keep striving for – maybe for the rest of their lives, but it’s there. And be sure to stop to listen to others' tales, because they could help us on our own journey. There are so many people who have had it so much worse than us. Gratitude goes a long way in helping us reevaluate the good in our lives and realize we don’t have it so bad after all.
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