I can’t begin to explain how many times I’ve heard the phrase, “Everything happens for a reason” growing up, especially while surrounded by many people who would consider themselves Christians or people of faith. And while I understand that this statement is mostly used to help comfort and console people who are in times of turmoil and uncertainty, I’ve had a hard time wrapping my head around the validity of its meaning.
Real friendship is hard.
There are other, less real versions of friendship. The less real versions are “less” precisely because they are less costly, less committed, less disruptive, less scary, less gritty, less gutsy, and less out-of-our-control than real friendship. But here’s the rub: Less real versions of friendship are also less rich. In the short run, they feel better and smoother than real friendship. But in the long run, they leave us lonely and alone. And it is not good to be alone.
I’ve come to learn that even the smallest of interruptions have while the impact on my little one, and they even give me a moment to refocus. Whether you’re on your computer, working on a project around the house, or even just watching your favorite sports team on television, giving your kids the blessing to interrupt you every once in awhile is a wonderful thing.
There are a lot of things in my life that I feel like I do well. But for every skill I think I’ve mastered, there is always another person that I think does it a little bit better than me. In some cases, this may be true, but in others, it’s due to a helping hand of comparative insecurities that I hold so dear to my heart.
Sometimes it’s hard to express your feelings to the people around you. Not because you’re afraid of what they’ll say, but because our culture doesn’t seem to be very keen on being honest about their pains. The reality is that way too many people are putting on a facade of perfection in order to keep people from knowing how they are truly hurting. It’s as if everyone feels like showing pain is a sign of weakness. I’m here to tell you that it’s okay to not be okay sometimes. It’s okay to admit that you’re hurting, broken or even confused about your current spot in life. It’s okay…Remember, even Jesus himself wept.