When I began writing this I was working weird hours. This is an excerpt from weeks ago- but I thought it might still be of encouragement.
Waking up 5ish- and writing at 10:06 from a restless night sleep for the third night in a row- set to have another late night BUT not I hope restless. As you can imagine sleep deprivation is a serious thing for me it usually results with a sleep migraine. One I’m currently sporting. I promise I have a point here…hang in with me alright?
My dog that I’m currently dog sitting loves to give me exercise. In the form of constantly getting up every 20 minutes or so. Had I not desperately needed sleep so I wouldn’t be cranky and be nonsensical all day I’d stay up. Then I did decide around 7:30ish to simply stay up.
Now…I’ve long ago recognized something when I’m exhausted. Thus the lead up to my story will now make sense. I tend to compare myself…hard core. It’s definitely a weak spot when I’m so tired. That’s when it comes. Today it came with a wrecking ball.
That wrecking ball almost made me throw in the towel…on several things. My business which is starting to thrive. Trying to finish projects at the house I swear it’s like a conveyor belts….those projects just keep on coming and seems like they’re bigger every time. But the one that really hurt was the one I’ve been trying to help for years and see it in my tired bleary mind start to crumble.
It started with a Facebook post meant to encourage. It did the complete opposite. I remind you once more…exhaustion is a weak spot for me to compare. When I saw the works of their hands in so many of their life keep growing- I felt stabbed in the chest. It *seemed* everywhere they turned they were mightily blessed. Why weren’t we like that? Our house keeps on having issues, one business felt in that moment doomed and the other barely making ends meet. Then I reflect on them, the people I compared myself to. I realized I wasn’t fair to myself or to them. They’ve had *hard* years. They took things off their plates and started to build a little at a time- so much wisdom there. A luxury my family and I haven’t had though we’ve tried.
So I decided…well I can choose to have a bad attitude about it OR I can start counting my blessings. I *know* the hard work that goes into making a purposeful beautiful life. I found when I started to choose to see all the good things in their life, I recognized how much it also meant to others and to myself. My heart began to leap for gladness and excitement at their new adventure.
However, I didn’t stop there. It is good to recognize the goodness poured out it is needed to be recognized for others. We can celebrate, laugh, and enjoy life despite and with hard things. Isn’t that part of what makes a beautiful relationship?
I started seeing the beautiful things in my own life. The things I’m very grateful for. Yes, there’s a business that’s struggling what business doesn’t? But the lives that have been touched by what it does?….There’s no price on that.
So is my life a bed of roses I hope not…the roses have thorns. But have I cultivated a few roses in my life and been pricked by the thorns. Yes. Quite a few times (literally and figuratively) actually and I keep carefully growing my space of beauty regardless of the few pricks.
That should be everyone’s story. To recognize the hard, beautiful, and good things are worth cultivating. To love what is theirs that God has given to them and to rejoice in the favor He pours out on others. Because my friends whatever blessing you get and whatever blessing others get- if we rejoices together then a little bit of all of it trickles down to you and I together. What a beautiful life that is.