Hard Days
I know it’s Christmas week, but this post isn’t going to be about Christmas. It is going to be about the people out there that are not having a good week.
There are many of us out there. The reasons vary but the feelings are similar. Losing someone close to you could be the reason, divorce, job loss, illness, or could also be the cause. Feelings of sadness tend to take over me this time of year. This year has been especially difficult though. Not only because of the year my family has had, but also the tasks I have committed myself to achieving.
It is hard to do things that make you uncomfortable, especially when you are already hurting from something big in your life. It seems the difficulty tends to vary depending on how uncomfortable the task is. The bad thing is, even if you choose not to do the task that makes you uncomfortable, you still tend to be sad, down, and miserable. Just about every year since I was fourteen years old has been sad for me.
The road to success and happiness is the road less traveled most of the time. I have seen that staying comfortable leads to a life that is barely living when compared to your potential. I could choose to stay home, not talk to friends and family, avoid church, or do the bare minimum at work. How would any of those things benefit me? They wouldn’t. It would only continue to make me stay where I am, sad and unfulfilled.
This year I have chosen to keep moving forward no matter what obstacles are in my way. I do my best to take steps to make myself better every day. I make it a point to wake up early, listen to worship music, pray, reflect on my feelings, and put a plan into action every day. I found that when I do those things, I am more at peace, happier, and optimistic about what the future holds. I still have hard days. I still have bad times when I cry and feel small and insignificant, but I know those thoughts are lies. I am here for a purpose; I just am not quite sure what it is yet. Our pastor taught this morning that God only give you enough light to see the next couple steps, it is our job to make wise decisions and act. I can say that it is 100% true in my life today.
I also had a surprise package that other day from a family member. It was a T shirt that said, “Don’t Let the Hard Days Win!”, along with a note of encouragement. I had seen the ads for them online but having someone think of me in a positive way when they read that statement is awesome. I have had some awful days in my life, but at least I know better ones are coming, and I am going to win in the end.
From my family to yours, Merry Christmas. I hope every single one of you will be able to enjoy this time of the year, even if this year is different.
My challenge to you is to try to brighten someone else’s day. There are a lot of hurting people out there, it just takes a small act of kindness to give someone hope for happiness.