I have seen many a Christmas come and go over my lifetime. This will be the
66th Christmas of my lifetime and the 20th Christmas since I made the
decision to stop pretending that my life was mine to live as I saw fit to
live it.
My only regret is that it took me so long to come to my senses. But as we like
to say 'in the rooms', "It takes what it takes" and "Time takes Time." If it
were not for my life experiences, I could not and would not be able to
appreciate today that the grass really is greener on the other side of
the fence. All I needed to do was stop bemoaning that fact and simply climb
over the fence to get to the other side.
Do you know why the grass is greener on the other side of the fence? Because
it is properly cared for and maintained. It is watered and fertilized and
weeded so that it can grow thick and lush and be enjoyed by all. The grass on
my side of the fence never received the proper care because I didn't feel that
I should have to do any of those things. Grass should grow on its own, right?
It came from God so he should be the one taking care of it not me. I'm just
supposed to enjoy it, right?
True enough, but I'm supposed to enjoy it, not destroy it. Not trample all
over it like a herd of buffalo!
Life is a gift! When we're given a gift, aren't we supposed to appreciate it
and treasure it (and The Giver)?!? No matter what we think of the gift, isn't
it "the thought that counts"? Was not the gift given to us out of love?
Just because it wasn't the gift we were hoping for doesn't mean we can toss
the gift aside as being worthless and meaningless, does it? Of course not! Yet
that is what I did with my gift initially. I played with it for a time, got
bored with it, and cast it aside along with all the other gifts I'd been
given. Just like
a petulant child
a few weeks after Christmas time. Rather than appreciate all that had been
given to me, I sought to have all the things that other people had and/or
those things that some people told me I needed to have in order to be happy
and content -- things that
purportedly
would give my life meaning and value.
What a fool I was for listening to all the wrong people and what a fool I've
been for trying to convince others it was all true.
I cannot get those days back and I cannot undo the damage to myself and
others. But there is one thing I CAN DO, and that is to tell everyone who will
listen to me...
There is only ONE source that gives true meaning to life and that source is the ONE who gives us life and the freedom to live it as we please.
If you live your life to please yourself,
you will die full of regret and misery.
If you live your life to please the ONE who gave you life,
you will come to know true love, joy and inner peace (serenity).
you will die full of regret and misery.
If you live your life to please the ONE who gave you life,
you will come to know true love, joy and inner peace (serenity).
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