Lesson One

With all that's been happening, I realize that I can put things together. Reading Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet In Heaven and putting it together with recent events, I know that this much is true:

"This is the greatest gift God can give you: to understand what happened in your life. To have it explained. It is the peace you have been searching for." - The Five People You Meet In Heaven

The thing is, after putting these things together, I realize that each person has their own lessons in a critical situation. My first, is to be thankful for everything, and hopeful for things to come.

To be thankful

What I think this means is that we need to accept that all that has happened is God's will, and perfect timing. It's funny, when you think about how much you say "I", and never "we." But I guess, even through the bad times, we need to be thankful. At the very least, for the experiences gained. The worst possible situation will give us something nice, if we keep praying, and remain thankful and accepting, and as much as we try to hide, does result in equivalent exchange.

To be hopeful

This is something else altogether. It's not like we can feel hope, because, the way most people use the word, is "have hope." It's like something we can grab and hold on to, or to let go of. Hope is, remaining faithful in times of tribulation. The imagery I most often associate with hope comes from a show I used to watch as a child.

"The light inside is hope." and "Hope continues to shine no matter darkness tries to hide it."

Hope is a shining light, that is always there. "Have hope."

The one thing learned most of all for me, is that having hope and being thankful will give you a peace inside, knowing that God has given you His greatest gift: understanding and knowing that everything will be okay.

Amen.