Some friends teach you the greatest gift of all!

My life is generally very serene and balanced. But recently I have become consumed with mothers that are hurting so bad it is beyond my control. The reason for this is no doubt my deep love for my own children. My friend Tesi Pugh has taught me A LOT...she has taught me that no matter how hard you try and want to help somebody the greatest gift you can do is PRAY! She then told me that she feels like I empathize and not just sympathize. After researching what empathy is I found that it is often characterized as the ability to "put oneself into another's shoes," or in some way experience what the other person is feeling. I have come to realize that emotions are powerful, emotions can have a life of their own. Sometimes as people we must control our emotions and not let them control us. This is very hard for me when it comes to a mother's pain for a child. Empathy is an intellectual, emotional, and, ultimately, a spiritual discipline. I must learn to listen openly at the times when it isn’t easy and NOT try and find a cure. Insight helps me distinguish my “stuff” from theirs. I must be patient with myself and allow myself room and time to grow in this area. I have also learned that life is strongly led by ATTITUDE! This is not to say that one person grieves better than another, but that attitude can ultimately allow a person to grieve without giving the devil a playground pass into ones spirit. I have seen people whose attitude was of anger or hurt to such an extent that they can never get beyond a particular event, which then becomes the defining moment of their life. And then I have seen just the opposite where people who have gone through one of life's most PAINFUL events and yet their attitude somehow remained positive and they even teach others to believe that there is an ultimate good. The comparison is so unbelievable between these two attitudes. Living with the concept of a good God is so much more uplifting and gives a person the ability to remain joyful and hopeful and have the strength to go on and fight. So as I fall asleep tonight and first thing I will do when I awake in the morning will be to pray. Pray not only for the mother hurting or the pain the child is going through, but for God to teach me to understand the true meaning of John 14:27 "I am leaving you with a gift -- peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid” .

I will conclude with the following poem I read and feel God has applied to my life:

I asked for strength and
God gave me difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for wisdom and
God gave me problems to solve.

I asked for prosperity and
God gave me brawn and brain to work.

I asked for courage and
God gave me dangers to overcome.

I asked for love and
God gave me troubled people to help...

Sorry to make this blog longer than it should but as I find myself consumed in thought for my blogs, I lose track of time. As I wrap this one up it dawns on me that my soon to be 10 year old is much quieter than usual, and so my search begins. SCREAMING his name 5000 times and searching every inch of the house still no child in sight. I head outside to begin the same ritual that I just performed inside. Still NOTHING, so I head down to the pasture to look, once there a little DIRTY barefoot, cotton head kid catches my eye...this is what I find....

So i quietly run back to the house grab my camera since I feel it is so dang adorable and typical of my BIRD HUNTER. As I go in for the closer shot, I frighten the Field larks and completely TICK off my dear sweet Peyton, who has now jumped and yelled "MOM, WHY DID YOU SCARE AWAY THE BIRDS???".


OH WELL, THE MUCH LIGHTER MOMENT WAS A WELL NEEDED BREAK!!!! I think I will go enjoy a glass of wine with my hubby who feels cheated at times by the computer and my blogging world. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!