The Other Side of Life

What is the other side of life? It is the side that is the opposite of the life that you are currently living. Why would you ever contemplate going there? What is there to gain? You will learn compassion; you will learn strength and nobility and be humbled by what you feel. Come with me and let’s delve into what you’re missing.

If you have been blessed with a great life, meaning a good paying job, nice home, nice vacations, a good school for your children, a great family, and a great marriage let’s flip the coin and see what your life could be like. When we do this, it is to remind you of how blessed you truly are and you will be humbled by the feeling it leaves you.

You wake up in the morning and yesterday’s mail is still sitting on the table, all past due bills. The gas company is coming by next week to turn off the gas, hopefully it will get real cold so it will stay on. Inside I am hopeless, I have been looking for a job for a year now and as I get ready to go get today’s paper I still look for that glimmer of hope. If I do find something, I hope its close, Betsy; my car can’t go that far without breaking down. This is the time I can let my fences down, just walked the children to school, they don’t have to see the despair on my face. It’s almost Christmas and I remain hopeful that things will get better. Twenty dollars in my pocket is a good day, there hasn’t been too many of those. I was able to buy a sweater for my wife and my daughter, they match. They were on sale at the store, $4.00 each. It’s a present under the tree. Better get that job and see what’s for dinner. I am getting so tired of can foods and left overs.

If this is the life you live, here’s what you get out of it; A life of devotion. Your children and your wife are devoted to you. It doesn’t matter what’s under that tree, they will love you. Each day you wake up you are blessed with the knowledge that your family is going to try harder to make life easier for you. One day your car was broke down and a neighbor a couple doors down helped you fix it. The gas company gave you another extension on the bill. The church has some food to help you get by. A cousin called with the possibility of a new job. This does not all happen in one day, but throughout a lifetime. You see, when you are down it’s so hard to see through the dense fog, your despair might even turn your heart cold for a little while. Don’t remain there; wipe the fog from your eyes. Your children see right to your soul, they know what you go through. They get their courage from you. Focus on what you do have! Those things are the things that money can’t buy and they truly last a life time. The predicament that you are in right now is not your future. You make your own future. Find out what you’re good at doing, or something that you have always wanted to do. This is your chance. Go and do it. Start making inquiries, you have plenty of time to go and meet people and do some research. Brush up on your skills, go back to school. You are truly blessed! We all are. We are given just one shot at life; you have to make it your best. Each day can be a challenge, but be aware of your courage and it will lead you where you need to go. Hold tight to your faith, sometimes you want to desert it, but it has never failed you. Your tests are just that, a test, show your strength. Others learn from you just as you learn from others.

Wishing everyone a “faith” filled Christmas! Only love and understanding truly make us who we really are.