A Sunny Day

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.
~Helen Keller

Do you see the cup as half empty of half full? I must admit that for a while, I saw the cup as half empty. My outlook on life had changed. Once happy, joyous and free; I suddenly felt sad, depressed and miserable. Life was happening and it was not good, or so I thought. Small tasks started to overwhelm me and I was not motivated to do much of anything except sit and sulk. I began to isolate and push away family and friends who were concerned about me. I felt trapped in a life of despair.

Someone once told me when I was struggling, "Well, if I had been through the things you have- the car wreck, hurricanes Rita and Ike, the unexpected suicide of a close friend, sickness within the family, and lack of money- I'd be depressed, too."

I appreciated the kind words at the time because they gave me permission to waddle in my sorrows. I soon became sick and tired of being sick and tired, so I took some time off. During my month-long sabbatical, I was able to recharge my soul and rethink my thinking. I was able to deal with the issues that had been blocking me off from the sunlight of the spirit and reconnect with God. I was able to have closure on that part of my life and accept everything (good and bad) as God's will so I could move forward with a new attitude. And guess what? I feel happy, joyous and free again. I am happy to be alive each day I wake up and want to live life to the fullest. I am joyous because I have a new outlook and no longer carry a fifty pound backpack of burdens on my shoulders. I am free to live each day doing God's will. I am free because I give all my problems over to God each day. I am no longer a slave to negativity when I replace those bad thoughts with positive thoughts of God. Every new day is a gift from God and I am grateful for that. I have learned that as long as I stay connected to God, I will know peace. Only HE can change the way I feel and I am letting Him.

There is no shadow, Lord, if I place myself directly in the sunshine of Your presence. Thank You. Amen. ~Unknown