How Does This Happen?...

I read an article today about some comments allegedly made by Gene Simmons. https://tv.yahoo.com/news/gene-simmons-tells-depressed-people-f-k-kill-154600164.html 
No two people handle suffering and hardship the same way. What devastates one may inspire another. So, how do we, as people, get to a point where we feel it is even remotely justified to say "Fuc# you, then kill yourself!" to someone who is truly hurting?

How can we look at the life of someone else and decide it's value? How do we tell someone that what they are feeling isn't real and that they should kill themselves? How do we even get to a place as a person where we see so little value in life?

Sometimes in our pursuit of education, of knowledge and of success we create for ourselves a definition of what we think will give our life meaning, purpose and value. We then look at the world though these lenses we have created and judge ourselves and others accordingly.

We need to be wary of this subtle change in our thinking. It is not what we "know", what public recognition we garner, or how much we "have", but rather what do for those in need, how we treat those who are hurting, and how our words and actions impact our fellow man, that makes up our character. What is truly valuable is not our portfolio, the house we live in our the car we drive, it is not our career or degrees, it is what is given from our heart. I'm not talking about money or things, but the words we speak to someone who is hurting, the shoulder we offer to share a burden, the hand we reach out with to help someone rise and take the next step, it is the labor of love we offer to those who cannot do on their own.

Please, if you are hurting, if you are suffering, even if you feel that there is no hope and you or those you love would be better off if you were dead, please... PLEASE reach out for help! You are NOT alone, there is hope, people DO care enough to see you though this and your life IS valuable!!! Here is the suicide prevention # 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

You may not know me, and I may not know you, but that does not mean I don't care about your suffering and your life and I believe that is true of more people than you would expect.

To those who have never struggled with depression, with physical pain, with abuse, or with any kind of suffering so intense that you have considered suicide, please be mindful of your words. I hope that Mr. Simmons example will serve to open people's eyes and hearts to what others may be privately enduring and encourage us to think about what we say and how it may impact others. Consider how you would feel about it if the person you care most about in this life were fighting this battle. Have compassion on your fellow man and reach out to those in need. You never know who is in desperate need of even a smile...

Let us think less of ourselves, and more of others.

Love and be loved, bless and be blessed, y'all!

I Stand at the Door...

You stand before two doors.

 

One stands tall and proud, it looks beautiful from the outside. It is quaint, adorned with flowers, and sure to contain the dreams that your heart desires. It promises joy if you simply open it and step through.

The other is smaller and appears old and worn. It hangs crooked on its hinge, there are no flowers, only moss and the decay of time. It is cracked and you can see nothing beyond it that would be of any interest to you.

You reach out for the first door. Your heart fills with the excitement of the promise of that which you desire. To your dismay the door is stuck; it will not budge. You feel panic rising in your chest, you feel your dreams begin to crumble. You push, pull, kick and fight to get the door open, but nothing works. You try hitting it, but this door is sturdy and does not give in to your will. You feel hot tears burning behind your eyelids as you stand eyes closed, fists clenched, the anger of disappointment and frustration raging within you. How could this happen? How could you be so close to all that would make you happy, and yet not be able to attain it? You begin to weep.

You hear a voice whisper to try the other door. You open your eyes and look to the other door, though it is ajar, what lies beyond it still appears grim and disappointing in comparison to the glorious hope that lies beyond the first door, if you could just get it open.

You have a choice to make. Do you continue your desperate search for a way through the door that leads to your dreams? Or do you take a chance on the second, unassuming door? You do not know if you will ever be able to open the first one, and though you may spend your entire life trying, you may never find success. However, the second door is already open and though what lies beyond it seems insignificant and unworthy of your time, it would at least be something.

As you draw near the second door you see a distant light straining to be seen through the dreary fog. With sad resignation, you place your hand on the door and give it a hesitant, dispassionate push. As the door slowly swings open you step into the unknown beyond the fog. Though the tiny light in the distance begins to grow, you stand still in the mist and the gloom of the utter despair that surrounds you and threatens to consume you. You close your eyes and again begin to weep; your soul desperately screaming "why?!" As you long for the realization of the glorious dreams that lie beyond the other door, you wonder if this emptiness is all there will ever be for you.

You stand there for quite some time begging this not to be your fate. You begin to feel a gentle warmth upon your face. You remain still, eyes closed, soaking in this new sensation. You feel the panic and dread in your heart begin to ease. You feel the burdens of failure and defeat begin to slowly lift their crushing weight from your shoulders. You stand a bit taller. You breathe deeply anticipating a sigh of resignation to burst forth from your lungs. Instead you are surprised by the splendid fragrance of sweet honeysuckle and fresh citrus blossoms on a warm spring day. As you exhale it is not the despondent resignation you expected to feel but rather a tiny spark of hope that is blossoming into the joy you were so certain only awaited you beyond the first door.

You open your eyes to what your mind can only describe as a glorious dream. Everything you thought you needed now seems so small and insignificant. Everything you have ever needed is right here, beyond the door you would never have chosen for yourself.  You blink to see if you are indeed awake. You turn and run to the door. You slowly ease yourself out and around the edge of the door to see if you were mistaken about which door you truly entered. The first door remains where it was, only now instead of standing tall, proud, and inviting it looms menacingly. The flowers that surrounded it are dead and a murky glow of disappointment oozes from beneath the door. The sight of all that you thought would make you happy, now rotten and decaying, causes you step back in astonishment. A sudden fear that this must now also be the case for what you have discovered beyond this small, unassuming door grips your heart and you turn in desperation to see that the joy you experienced is still there. It was waiting for you all along.

You begin to walk in this promise of new life that you have been given, and you no longer have any desire to look back. You find that not only joy and purpose awaited you beyond the door you had so deeply rejected, but a love you had never dreamed possible has wrapped its arms around you and vowed to never leave you no matter how rough the road ahead becomes.  You are finally where you truly belong…

Such is the case with life, friends. We seek so desperately for that which will fulfill us, often missing the mark entirely. We find heartache and disappointment at the end of our stubborn desire for what we want, for what we think is right for us. We stand and fight to get the door to “our dreams” open, when a much better one is waiting for us if we will only give it a chance. This is also true of our will vs God’s plan. His design, His hope for our future is so much more than we could ever conceive of on our own. There is more joy, more fulfillment, more love and more peace in walking with Him than I could have ever found in my own plans. I chose the small door and I would choose it again, if given the chance. Believe me, it is worth it! ^_^

Just thought I would share that with y’all. ;)