This week I've had quite a few incomplete ideas bouncing around in my head on what to write about. But between cramming in as much school as I possibly could, bruising a bone in my foot (making it rather painful to walk for a few days...still hurts now, but not to bad), having a headache most of the week because I got glasses and I'm not used to it all the way yet, making a wedding present, shopping for wedding presents with mom, having my state testing done on Saturday morning, going to Gillian's wedding shower on Saturday afternoon, church, some kind of stomach bug that makes it so whenever I eat it feels like my stomach is being pulled into pieces, almost no sleep last night, and just not writing...I just haven't got around to it until now. And then all my ideas were incomplete, half thoughts that left me with almost nothing to work with! You might say I was slightly freaking out about what I was going to write. That is when I recalled something I had written to one of my friends during the week when they asked me how I was. I said “Good! How about you?”. When, I wasn't really good. I wasn't even really fine. I was stressed out and tired.
When someone asks us how we are, no matter how we actually are, we almost always say we're fine, or good. At least, that's the case for me. My life can be going upside down, all around, and jumping through a hoop, all at the same time, but if someone asks me how I am, my automated response is, “I'm good! How about you?!”. Doesn't matter if I've had a dreadful day, week, or month, when someone asks me that questions, I just say that I'm fine. I'm good. I mean, don't want to give the impression that anything ever goes wrong in my life! Yeah, you guys really don't need to know that I struggle with stuff, so I'll just pretend I don't! Smart right?
Do we honestly believe that we're the only ones hurting? I mean, are we actually selfish enough, to think “I'm the only one who has problems! No one understands!”? Well, for me, the the answer is definitely yes. I can get so caught up in my own problems, that I start thinking I am the only one who has problems....wait...seriously? I am the only one who has problems getting along with my siblings. I am the only one who has problems getting along with my parents. I am the only one who has problems with some of my closest friends. I am the only one who was super close to one of my siblings, and then somehow we weren't anymore (they get a boyfriend/girlfriend, they move away, etc). I am the only one who has lost a best friend over a stupid rumor. I am the only one who has been betrayed by a best friend. I am the only one who has had mean things said about me. I am the only one who gets misunderstood. I am the only one that has problems with self worth. I am the only one who doesn't always do well in school. My parents are the only ones who fight. My family is the only one with financial struggles. My family is the only one who's had to make major adjustments in the last couple years. I can relate to all of the above, and more!
I get so caught up in feeling sorry for myself, I forget that I'm not the only one who is hurting. I think part of the reason we start thinking we are the only ones with problems is that we tend to try to hide our problems from each other. It looks like we are the only ones hurting because everyone else thinks the same thing, and tries to hide their hurting from everyone else! We seem to be ashamed of the fact that we have problems! We all do struggle with things, big, or small, everyone has some kind of disturbance, a ripple, on their pool of life. It just depends on how big the rock that was thrown in is! And honestly, we shouldn't even be feeling sorry for ourselves, even though that seems like the thing to do.
James 1:2-4
“2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
2 Corinthians 12:9
“And he said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Romans 5:3-5
“3And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4and patience, experience' and experience hope: 5and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
These verses tell us to rejoice, glory, joy, in our tribulations, infirmities, weaknesses, and temptations. To me that doesn't sound like they're say to be ashamed of them, to try and hide them. Instead of hiding the things we struggle with, we should be open about them. Knowing that others have gone through exactly what you're going through, or just even knowing that other Christians do struggle, can be such a comfort! Not only can it be a comfort to someone else, but as a general rule, it really isn't that healthy to hold all the sadness, heartache, and pain inside of you. Talking so someone does help. Even when we are being bogged down by things, that doesn't mean that we can't also be thankful that we're going through a tough time because it will bring us closer to God!
What is even worse then trying to hide the fact we're hurting from other people, is trying to hide it from God. Not that we can, but that doesn't mean that sometimes we wont try. It's almost as if we feel...guilty...about having struggles. God allows these struggles to make us stronger! Of course he knows all about them, and he doesn't think any less of you for having them! Do we actually allow ourselves to think that God will think less of us for struggling? Uh, God has already seen us in our most vile and weak state of sin, and he still loved us! He died for us! And now we are thinking that he will look down upon us because we're going through something that is hard for us? He has already forgiven all our sins. God has never looked down on you, he has, and will continue to, always love you! Trials we have are meant to bring us closer to God. If we try to hide what we're going through from him, that wont bring us closer to him at all! He wants us to fully depend on him for strength! God will never give us more then we can take.
1 Corinthians 10:13
“13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
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I'm attaching a YouTube video to this one. Some of you may not be able to access YouTube, but those of you who can, you should watch it!!
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