2015...the beginning of a new year for this retiree. The thing to do when you are my age is to look at all of the positives in life and cling to them...such as, the family you are in, the friends you have, and the opportunities to meet new people and see new things. All of these are important and, I think, very necessary to living a life worth living. "But", for those who are struggling in the areas of life that appear out of nowhere and even catch you unaware, which, let's face it, WE ALL HAVE HAD...I have a word for you. It is, HOPE! Let us all hang on to that word...hope. Yes, we get aches and pains, we lose loved ones, we cannot see past today sometimes, and we wonder what will happen next (worry)...when this happens it is so wonderful to realize, if we choose, we can always have hope. Now what gives us hope???? That is the question. Can we not look around us and see the good things that are happening....even the small things that make us feel... just maybe, if I want to, I can see the bigger picture and not just see the dark cloud that takes away the joy in life....or the helpless feelings of not being in control.
Can you invision a picture in your mind of someone who has made you laugh because of something they have said or done?
Can you look out of the window and see a sun shining or an animal just wondering around looking for food or fun?
Can you remember a time when things looked bad before, but turned out to be OK?
There are always things that can bring hope in darkness if we will just look for even a sliver of light. That is the first step. It is simply turning a negative into a positive if we will only try....if there is no
one to be there to talk to...you can always talk to the One who created and knows you better than anyone else...AND HE CARES! HE REALLY DOES.
Dear child,
Do not give up. Do not feel defeated or hopeless or down on yourself. It’s true that the outward circumstances of what is happening look grim to you. It’s true that the world feels dreary and dismal tonight, and you feel tired. But don’t dwell on the outward things, on your physical surroundings or the particulars of this situation. These outward things are actually in the process of deteriorating and passing away right before your eyes.
Your lifetime on this planet only lasts a moment. But you yourself are eternal. You are forever because your real life is in me and I am in you. Your body may be aging, but your spirit is “youthening”! As you dwell in me, your spirit person is being vitalized and energized and given a new vision.
All the piddling trivia you’re wrestling with is but a blink of my eye. All the difficulties and heartaches you’re struggling with are already in the process of being formed by my hand into a glory that is beyond your comprehension--a glory that is eternal. So don’t keep your eyes glued to the frustrations or the heartaches; lift your eyes to me. See me with your spirit and believe my voice within you now. I am more real than anything your eyes can see. I am more powerful than anything your hands can touch. I am more lasting than anything your senses can perceive.
I am real life!
God
(taken from, "Postcards from Heaven" by Claire Cloninger
I really hope everyone has a reason to look forward to 2015...I know I do. Love to all, Karen
