So the other day amid a very stressful day, the lyrics of a song just sort of popped into my head, and it was exactly what I needed to hear. I have to admit, I'm not a very big fan of Nickelback, but I'll give them credit for their song "If today was your last day." The line of the song that truly hit me was, "...each day's a gift and not a given right." As I began to reflect upon this phrase, I realized I haven't been living with this truth in mind.
Each morning I've been waking up with a sense of entitlement. Entitlement to have an equal opportunity to pursue my own desires, my dreams for life;entitlement to happiness here on Earth; and especially for me, entitlement to have things the way they use to be; in particular my health. Growing up you could say I was pretty injury prone. Injuries I could deal with, that was just part of being involved with sports as well as part of being a boy. What I wasn't prepared for was the health problems that were in a sense, beyond my control. Growing up I'd always been a fairly physically active kid; I loved being outdoors. When I wasn't at soccer or basketball practice, I was out running, playing pickup games, or just enjoying the outdoors playing capture the flag or something with friends. I ate reasonably healthy, drank lots of water and milk, the whole 9 yards. So that's what it was a surprise for both my doctors and me when I was diagnosed with hypertension and later a congenital heart condition. At first it didn't really give me much trouble. But as I noticed it beginning to affect me, I quickly grew frustrated. Frustrated I couldn't do the things I use to do. Frustrated that I had to endure something that I had done nothing to warrant. Worse than my own crosses though were seeing those close to me enduring suffering: my brother's,cousin's,friend's, and family putting up with autoimmune diseases and other health ailments. What hurt most was watching it affect their lives as it killed off some of their dreams and forced them to make adjustments in their lives, yet remembering who they use to be.
I finally realized this situation was very similar to those people wondering why bad things happen to good people. I've had far too many friends die young, and it's only human nature to wonder why. You'll hear the phrase "life's not fair." Well that's because we all have this mindset of entitlement; entitlement to have the same opportunity to live life and chase our dreams. When this doesn't happen, we often feel that the person who isn't given that opportunity is cheated, slided, short-changed. My brothers and sisters, who are we to be entitled to anything? Each morning you wake up, the thought that you "have to endure" another day of sufferings doesn't need to cross your mind. Each morning is a time to rejoice, for truly each day is a gift from God, a blessing from above! We would do well to remember that. Yes life is going to be hard, but God places so much in our life each day to remind us of the gift He is giving us: the sunrise, the sunshine, people in our lives, the sun set, the beautiful landscapes, the comfort of family, friends, and having a home, a cozy fire, and so much more.
It has been said "We place our happiness in other people's hands." How true this is, and how often we are let down. We as humans, and even more so as Americans, have come up with a solution: we'll medicate ourselves. When reality becomes too overbearing, we'll either escape reality or create our own. This is why alcoholism has become such a big problem here in the United States, especially among college-aged students. At a point in life when things can be pretty stressful and unclear, alcohol provides a way to escape it all, atleast for a while. Now i'm not some big prohibitionist who thinks alcohol is a bad thing; quite the opposite in fact. But the way in which we use it can be quite unhealthy, both physically and spiritually. And it's not just alcohol, each of us has our own self-prescribed medication. For some it's throwing themselves into their work, their job, their career; seeking the satisfaction that comes with achieving a big feat for their company or themselves and they become ever-more dependent upon that feeling. For others it's cutting other people down in order to feel better about themselves. Everyone has their own way to cope. But of all these people we turn to in search of happiness: ourselves, our family, our friends, many of us forget to seek the one person who can truly grant us happiness and peace. He tells us each and every day how much He loves us in the simplest things as I mentioned above: the sunset, breath-taking mountains and waterfalls, the people in our lives, and so many other ways.
Yet we continue to give in to despair. We give in to the pressures and the stress and lose hope. This is why I have made it my personal mission to do the small things in life: hold the door for a stranger, listen to friends when they are having a rough day, wish them luck on exams/interviews/ect., surprise them with a letter or card or gift. ect. It's through these small things that we can restore hope in people's lives, and hope is something we all need to believe in. Here's a few good reminders from scripture.
Romans 12:12 "Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer."
Isaiah 40:31 "They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles' wings; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint."
Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! plans to give you a future full of hope!
To wrap things up just like to leave you with some lines from the song "Every time you run" by Manafest.
I promised not to quit and I remembered the words
Every time you run, every time you hide
Every time it hurts, every time you cry
Every time you run away, every time you hide your face
And it feels so far away, I’m right here, with you
And as an added bonus for all of you who enjoy some Christmas music.
