A Big Orange Mess....With a Story To Tell

As I have spent 21 years on this earth, I have clearly learned that life is not always easy and there will be difficult days that we each have to face. This past weekend, I felt like the Lord hit me with one of those "ah ha" kind of moments. I had the opportunity to meet a new friend this weekend that shared a part of his life story with me and the journey he has been on so far. In that one moment, I quickly learned how much I take for granted each day, when there are people out there homeless, starving, and alone. This one man taught me that even when we face our difficult days, we should still use the blessings God gives us and glorify His name. How awesome it is to be reminded of that! I was reminded of the verse John 16:33 "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world." This verse is so powerful as it reminds us that we will each face trouble in our lives...some of us may even face trouble on a daily basis...but to not give up hope because the Lord is near. I believe I was presented with the opportunity to get to know this person because I quickly thought about where I am in my life and how easy it is for me to lose focus on what is important. This man had very little but was still singing away, while I have everything I need and fail to give thanks. In other words, it was a huge reality check for me. So, I challenge myself this week to tell people how much they mean to me and how thankful I am for them to be in my life...this should not even be a challenge but something I should already do. I am blessed with more than I could even imagine and I pray that I will always keep my heart open to meeting new people...because you never know how much it might change you. Each person has their own story to tell...we just have to be open to listen when they are ready to share it.

Everyone has a story. Everyone has seen good days and bad days. Everyone has had hard times in their lives. Some have seen harder times than others. The important things about each person's story is not so much the story itself, but the attitude and direction we choose to take based on our story. -Jeff Moore