Things I Haven’t Had To Face

7 posted on August 7, 2008

POSTED IN: Authenticity, Makes You Think

Ok, here’s a little from-the-gut authenticity – sometimes I feel guilty that I have it so good. Can you relate? Have you ever read someones blog or seen a story on the news and felt guilty about taking your blessings for granted?

Any struggles or hardships I face seem so small when I stop to think about all the things I haven’t had to deal with.

My parents stayed together so I’ve never had to deal with a broken family
I’ve never been the victim of abuse
I’ve never struggled with a substance abuse addiction
We haven’t had to deal with the loss of either of our parents yet
I’ve never had to face the loss of a child
We’ve never had any major disease, bad accidents or extended hospital stays
I’ve never been unemployed or experienced bankruptcy or foreclosure.

Many of you may not relate to my list because you’ve fought these battles and still have the scars and painful memories. You have lists of things that have happened to you that are as long as your arm. Things that few of us could relate to or even understand.

But if you stopped for a moment and thought, you could come up with your own list of hardships you’ve never had to go through, addictions you’ve never had to fight, losses you’ve never had to mourn. Look around you. What do you have?

For me, stepping back and looking at my life and then looking at what others have had to go through (or are going through right now) has helped me to gain perspective. It gives me an appreciation for the blessings I have and a burden to pray for those who don’t share them.

Write Your Own List
What are some of the things you’ve never had to deal with? When was the last time you thanked God?

TWEET THIS

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 7th, 2008 at 9:46 am and is filed under Authenticity, Makes You Think. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

12 Comments

Share yours!

Visit My Website

August 7, 2008

Permalink

1 jonathan said:

One of my best friends has one of those backgrounds full of prison time, drug abuse, failed marriages, family deaths, etc… I remember once commenting that his testimony blew mine out of the water, because I had NOTHING! He scolded me harshly and said that my testimony was what he wanted to hear, because to believe that someone can live w/o the pain he had to live with and still need Jesus brings him hope. Weird, huh?

And I apologize for seeming super-spiritual…

jonathans last blog post..I Broke Up With Running
Visit My Website

August 7, 2008

Permalink

2 Mandy said:

I had to deal with losing a parent, losing children, & unemployment.

And I thank God for those things constantly. I learned more about myself & Him during those times.

Mandys last blog post..Sunday Setlist Carnival
Visit My Website

August 7, 2008

Permalink

3 Michael said:

Anne Jackson’s blog did that for me today… there is just no way I can personally relate… all I can do is figure out how to help.

Michaels last blog post..Dedication
Visit My Website

August 7, 2008

Permalink

4 Linny Best said:

I am like you, haven’t gone through too much in my life so far and pray that I don’t have to. My parents seperated for just a little while, so I’ve had a glimpse into that expierence and don’t ever wish that upon anyone. My husband lost his job and we were out for 10 months, but we now see that God provided the whole time and He gave Dale a job that he is good at and will grow and have fun. God always comes through, it’s just His timing that sometimes sucks in our own opinion.

I’m thankful too for the struggles that I’ve had to face and thankful for the struggles that I haven’t had to face. Both ways makes me grow.

Linny Bests last blog post..This Day In History :: NYC Traffic Jam :: 1974
Visit My Website

August 7, 2008

Permalink

5 Sean said:

All I can do is praise God for the struggles that I go through right now. My RL interaction with other believers is non-existent, my only fellowship, though very limited, is via the internet. My home is a place where I am the only believer. My only regular communication is my daily time with God, through that He is teaching me about OUR relationship with Him. I thank God for that daily.
Visit My Website

August 7, 2008

Permalink

6 Zack said:

I think it’s great to recognize God’s goodness in your life, and to enjoy this season while it lasts, but also to live with the awareness that it won’t always be this way.

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.”

I think He meant *big* trouble. You’re phone will ring some day, and a new season will start.
So I don’t think you need to feel guilty. Rejoice while today is today, and when tomorrow (or 10 years down the road) comes, say, “I knew this was coming, and I’ve been preparing for it.”

My two cents…
Visit My Website

August 7, 2008

Permalink

7 Kelli Brownlee said:

Ive lost a child, been unemployed, been hungry with no food, and need a new home as we speak.

Through all of this God is still faithful

Kelli Brownlees last blog post..A Prayer Journal
Visit My Website

August 7, 2008

Permalink

8 tam said:

i feel ya. totally. compared to most…ive had a life of luxury – even with the worst i have no right to complain. and like mandy said…i thank God for the worst – it has taught me much, like compassion, which i desperately needed.

tams last blog post..fill-in-friday on video. hmmm.
Visit My Website

August 7, 2008

Permalink

9 Lisa @ put-it-on-the-list said:

My parents could have written a book on clean divorce; I’ve never seen another couple handle it as well as they did. Now I only have my dad to talk to about it; I lost my mom in 2004.

My husband and I went through almost four years of unemployment and underemployment, completely surrounded by God’s grace and provision (never lost our house or even a car in the process).

There are lots of things I haven’t been through, but the things I have been through are things God has used in the lives of others over and over, so it’s easy to see why He would allow those obstacles in my life.

I laugh when people say my puny faith is somehow larger than, well, whatever. You only have to have faith to put one foot in front of the other and trust God to be there for that one step. That’s all. And that’s not so hard, right? =)
Visit My Website

August 7, 2008

Permalink

10 JudiFree.com said:

My list looks alot like yours.

THe hardest thing I’ve endured is a miscarriage in february. it was gut-wrenching…still is actually. And now, my biggest struggle is now trying to conceive again.

I do feel so blessed though and we see so much beauty from ashes!

JudiFree.coms last blog post..Doubtfully Saved
Visit My Website

August 8, 2008

Permalink

11 Brandee said:

Things I’ve never dealt with:
– Loss of a parent or sibling.
– Divorce of parents.
– Fire (house fire, etc.)
– Substance abuse.
– Loss of a child.
– Loss of faith.
– Loss of trust.

I have a list of things that I’ve been faced with personally in the past two years. Divorce, cancer, job loss, unemployment, theft, vandalism… and although I have hit low points where I hated who I was and where I felt I was “stuck” in life, I was gently reminded repeatedly that God had my hand through everything. He let me scream and yell and cry… and just stood there, probably with his hands on his hips, saying “Are you done yet? We have work to do, missy!”

I don’t like these challenges… but they’ve made me realize I can do anything I set my mind to… and I now realize the importance of taking a step back and thanking God for every moment.
Visit My Website

August 22, 2008

Permalink

12 Blogs I’m Reading & Link Love – betterthanblank said:

[...] Church stuff, family stuff, music stuff, computer stuff, life stuff, whatever. I really enjoyed this post, it challenged me. And I loved this post because it reminded me of my days as a youth [...]