Staring at a blank screen with a blinking cursor, wondering what to write about for this post, I did the most logical thing I could think of in this day of social media.
I posted on Facebook and asked people what they wanted my perspective on. And comment after comment came in with the same theme:
How do you stay positive when things are so hard?
Let’s just say my Facebook friends don’t pull any punches and go right for the heart of it. And I love that about them.
To read the rest of this post, hop on over to (in)courage: Acknowledge Him
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Edited to add entire post:
Staring at a blank screen with a blinking cursor, wondering what to write about for this post, I did the most logical thing I could think of in this day of social media.
I posted on Facebook and asked people what they wanted my perspective on. And comment after comment came in with the same theme:
How do you stay positive when things are so hard?
Let’s just say my Facebook friends don’t pull any punches and go right for the heart of it. And I love that about them.
I guess first I would say, I don’t try to pretend it’s not hard for me. When it hits, I acknowledge it. I feel it. I even let myself cry about it. But I never let myself sit in it.
Sometimes we can cry and feel it and that creates more crying and more feeling. In a bad way. That’s why I make sure I consciously visualize myself “getting it out.” I don’t want the tears to make me more sad, I want the tears to purge me. To let out the hurt and frustration so there is an empty place inside of me.
An empty place that can be filled with joy.
Be filled with Him.
Because while I first acknowledge the hard and acknowledge the pain, my next step is to always to acknowledge Him.
Now, don’t roll your eyes and say it’s easier said than done. I know you want to. Because the truth is, like everything in life we want to be good at, it takes practice.
I used to have to give myself time limits. Back when I was able to leave the house, I would leave a bad doctor appointment where I had heard bad news again, and let myself be upset the whole way home. I would cry and I would tell God how much I hated it and I would call a friend and lament about having to go into the hospital again.
But by the time I got home, I would leave it all in the rear view mirror. I would get out of the car and consciously start saying thank you. I looked for anything and everything that could possibly be a blessing. {That my friend was empathetic and supportive, that someone was willing to watch my dog while I had my hospital stay, that the sun was shining and reminding me of His love for us.}
That He never leaves me alone.
He is the reason I keep my positive attitude. Because the minute I let it out and empty the space inside of me, I turn from thinking of me – my pain, my problems, my worries – and I acknowledge the only One who has the power over all of it.
And I say “acknowledge Him” instead of “looking for Him” because He is everywhere. We don’t need to go in search of His steadfast love and blessings, we only need to open our eyes and realize He is the source of all good things in our lives.
And the more you practice this, the better you’ll become. The easier it will be. I hardly hear a bad word now before I turn to gratitude. Because the more you practice acknowledging His grace in your life, the easier it is to see Him all around you.
For me, that is where staying positive resides.
Will you try it with me today?
Can you stop – right now – exactly where you’re at and acknowledge a gift He has placed in your life in the middle of the hard stuff?
I’d love for you to share with us – because we all have blessings we only have to open our eyes to see.
It might just change your whole day.