“31” has been an “awakening” of sorts for me. It’s almost as if the very moment I blew out those candles, sh%* got real. Suddenly, things that happen to “other people” are happening to people I know, my people, and me. Things that only existed hypothetically are actual realities: cancer, death, divorce, infertility, terminal illness, job loss… etc.

These undeniably harsh realities define the human condition, and we all face them.

{Confession: sometimes the future scares the shit out of me.}

Whether it be money, health, family, or our relationships, I think we can all point to something that’s responsible at this very moment for deepening the creases on our foreheads.

Life is hard.

Today [Easter Sunday], while peeling potatoes at the kitchen sink, a soft breeze carried with it the sound of laughing children. I was overwhelmed with a sense of peace and joy. Life is so very good for me right now, but for so many people I know, this is a trying tragic difficult  hard time. Some faced this Easter for the first time without a loved one. Others faced the inconceivable reality that this may be their last. Still others are uncertain of what the future holds.

My joy in juxtaposition to their struggle is hard to reconcile. Why am I so [mostly] lucky?

Truth is, we are all blessed and we all face tragedies – just at different points in time.

I have seen an inspirational quote floating around the www a lot lately… something to the effect of “choose happiness.” While I understand the premise, and find it to be a noble thought, it implies that people who are not happy are choosing sadness. That’s simply untrue. No one chooses sadness.

Sometimes the circumstances are dire. Sometimes, there just isn’t a visible silver lining. Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes, people are sad.

Several years ago, one of the pastors at our church did a sermon about life and its inherent struggles. Specifically, he spoke about worry, anger, sadness, and grief and he said something that resonated with me. He said, “It’s ok to visit there…just don’t live there.”

That is my hope for all of us – that our visits with struggle are “visits” and that we take heart in HIS promise.

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

While I do not believe people “choose” happiness, I can say this with certitude –EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE O.K.

Happy Easter everyone!