Is there ever a time that you should consider just walking away?
Today is going to be a little different from the past few Wednesdays. There is a little something that I came across this past week that really hit home with me. I love reading through people’s posts on FaceBook. Many times people will post quotes that really get my mind going. This past week I came across the following graphic.
This is something I think we should all take into serious consideration. I say that in reference from the other end of this quote; as I seem to be the person that gets ignored by family and friends quite frequently.
I try to always be caring and give to those that I mean a lot in my life. It gives me great joy to show that I care by giving to others in some way. I give of myself without any expectation of return as I feel that is one of the ways that God blesses us in the sense of having made a small difference in the lives of others.
Yet many times, I end up being ignored and at times forgotten by family and friends. I do realize that each of us has a full life that takes our all of our attention and can over whelm us at times. But as this is something that continually happens to me I begin to wonder if there is some underlying message that people are trying to tell me. It is hard not to think that. Many times I have family members ask me the day before an event if I am still coming when I was never invited in the first place. It does make me feel as if I am an afterthought to people.
So to get to the thought behind the title of my post; is there ever a time when you should just consider walking away? I would love to hear thoughts from others on this as I am seriously considering walking away from a few situations in the near future. It is a hard thing to consider; an even harder thing to do. Yet, I feel it may be the right thing to do at the moment. It is not that I do not care any more. It is just that it hurts to be in a situation like this. There are times when we need to look after ourselves as much as we want to look after others. We must trust with our heart that God will take care of those you care about even if you are put into a situation where you can’t be there for them because they don’t want you there.
~The Quiet Computer Guy
Self-discovery: I am a prude
Yes. I admit it. According to Miriam Webster’s Dictionary a prude is “a person who is easily shocked or offended by things that do not shock or offend other people.” Thus, I am a prude.
How did I come to this conclusion? I was working an event this weekend. I am a volunteer for a music organization called the RAMIs or Rockford Area Music Industry. Our mission is to give out scholarships to graduating seniors that intend upon pursuing the study of music in college so we have several fund raising events throughout the year. Today’s event was our Rock’n Roll Garage Sale. It was here at this humble event that I finally admitted I am a prude because the following question kept coming to mind all day:
How can people walk out in public with no thought or consideration of their appearance?
Maybe I should try to add the words “no shame” in there somewhere.
Upon arrival to the event I had to wait for a young gentleman bending over to pick up a pile of guitar cords that had fallen off his stack of items he was carrying. As I was behind him, I was greeted to a sight that I truly did not need to see; a full moon at 10am in the morning. I held my tongue and quietly waited as he and his friend gathered up the cords. Later in the day, another incident of the same vein occurred. A woman walked into the hall with a top on that barely covered her essentials.
I am always conscious of my appearance in public and I dress appropriately. Yet I see more and more people that just don’t seem to care how they look. Have we as a society just come to a point where we don’t care about ourselves anymore?
~The Quiet Computer Guy
Hope Is Real
Recently my daughter wrote a post about an organization called To Write Love On Her Arms. We purchased some of their merchandise and have been proudly wearing their shirts. The ones we like the best are the ones that say “You’re Not Alone” and “Hope Is Real.” We have gotten a few double takes as people have seen us walking around with these messages. We feel they are messages that people every where need to see, hear, and feel!
How many times have you felt alone in this cold, cruel world? How many would admit feeling hopeless in various different situations? I think, if we are honest with ourselves, we have all had these feelings at some point in our lives. That is why I’m here to tell you today and every day, as long as you need a little encouragement and support along your journey, that you matter! You are enough! You mean the world to someone and may not even realize it. You are not alone as God is right there beside you walking every step of the way, and when you feel at your lowest point or your absolute weakest, that is when God will carry you the rest of the way.
When I lost my sister almost 13 years ago, I did not see how I would ever be able to go on without her. I felt like the entire world crashed down around my feet. I could barely breathe and found myself asking how do I go on? It was one of the hardest things to ever face for our family. There were times that I felt so incredibly alone and so hopeless, but I had family and friends that came alongside of me to remind me that they were there, they loved me, and we would get through this together. We all had questions that went unanswered around her death, and it pains us to this very day what happened and the circumstances leading up to her taking her own life. I’m sure at that moment, she felt incredibly hopeless and was filled with such feelings of loneliness and despair. Oh how I wish I could have helped her. I wish I could have saved her. I wish she would have turned to me in her darkest hours to let me help her through this.
We all have problems in this life. They seem all consuming at times, and it is hard to think rationally when our heads are spinning as things continue to be hurled at us. What I wish I could have expressed to my sister is how much I love her, how valuable she was to her family, and how much she truly did matter.
Just recently our family encountered problems, and we struggled. I felt almost the same identical feelings crash into me this time just as I had experienced almost 13 years ago. The situation was somewhat different, yet the grief familiar. To be honest, our family is still struggling through some very difficult issues. It’s hard to face what has become your reality. You always hear of things happening, but it’s always to other people. Surely this can’t be happening to US! But, it is. In the face of great difficulty, it’s so easy to just throw your hands in the air and give up. That would be the easy way out. Yet, we refuse to do that! Anything worth having is worth fighting for. You just don’t quit when the going gets tough. That is when you hold on tighter and with all of your might. The best thing to hold on to in this life is each other!
I was told this past week by a friend that I just refuse to give up until I have exhausted every measure, every avenue … and you know what? That is a very true statement. I refuse to give up. I will do whatever it takes because the person involved is worth it. We are worth it. Our family is worth it. Our children are worth it. Our lives are intertwined, and I believe that HOPE IS REAL for us … for you … for any one out there struggling, no matter the situation or circumstances! Hope is real! I believe it with my whole heart. So, no, I won’t give up until I know that I have tried absolutely EVERYTHING, and then and only then will I throw in the towel. It’s not over … it’s only just beginning. Life is worth living, people are worth loving, and hope is worth hanging on to!
When all else fails and you don’t know what to do … pray! Believe that God is working this situation out for His good, for His honor, and His glory … believe that God has plans for us … plans to give us a hope and a future.
HOPE IS REAL! I believe it with my whole heart.
