1. A KIND OF SUFFERING THAT LEADS TO JOY...
How easy is it to complain?
Complaining requires little effort, like destroying. Building a tower of cards takes concentration, skills and patience - blowing it up with a puff only takes a small amount of breath.
Chronic complaining should be banned. Don't get me wrong - sharing our frustration with the people we love is a must - they need to know how we feel and we need to let off steam sometimes. Equally, fighting for human rights and battling injustice is a duty. However, the kind of complaining that never ends, never finds a positive outlet and makes one feel miserable can almost be treated as a sin - avoidable at all costs. Let's substitute complaining with praying - our lives will take a positive turn, and we will have made this world a better place to live.
I have recently returned from the holiday of my dreams: ten days in sun-kissed (well, most of the time) New England, travelling around quaint villages, enjoying tours of three Ivy League Universities, including my beloved Princeton in NJ, where I lived for a year, visiting the charming districts of Boston, finishing off with a 'You're fired' cocktail in the Trump Tower on 5th Avenue and a stroll in Central Park in NY.
Very generous friends let us stay in their gorgeous house filled with children and joy. Their kindness allowed us to relax and live and breathe Connecticut. My excitement reached its peak when we stayed in Princeton, NJ, where I was privileged to stay for a year in 2001/2002. I loved roaming around the trendy shops, enjoying walks around the campus, meeting up with old friends. On the second night I woke up at about 2am, and seriously considered walking out of the hotel to admire the hundreds of fireflies fluttering around campus - however, common sense got the best of me and I just imagined them as I lay in bed. 'Well,' I thought 'that must be a sign. I must come back here, again, and have a proper look at them!' If you think this sounds like a feeble excuse for another holiday...maybe you're right.
Returning home was difficult, and I was keen on complaining...'Our holiday was too short! I wish God had made things different for us...I wish we could have spent a month there...I wish we could live there..!' These are few of the complaints my husband has had to endure for a couple of days. Then lightning struck...what if God had not given us this holiday?
2. ANOTHER KIND OF SUFFERING THAT LEADS TO JOY!
Being a mother is the hardest job in the world. No, you don't need the skills of a brain surgeon but you certainly need the patience of a saint! Our little one is s good little girl, but the first three months with her were challenging. My work schedule was heavier than Gordon Brown's - 13, 14 hours of work a day were simply not enough...I had to be available 24/7! I did cry myself to sleep (when I could) out of exhaustion, then, as Elizabeth grew, demands on me decreased, as she began to enjoy the pleasures of sleep.
Motherhood can be the source of a lot of suffering, and I feel for the mothers of murderers and paedophiles. Yet, it is without a doubt the most amazing experience a woman will ever have: loving a child more than yourself is the most joyful and fulfilling way of living.
A mother's love has no end. Let's pray for all the mothers, that they may be supported in their difficult and wonderful role.
God Bless You
How easy is it to complain?
Complaining requires little effort, like destroying. Building a tower of cards takes concentration, skills and patience - blowing it up with a puff only takes a small amount of breath.
Chronic complaining should be banned. Don't get me wrong - sharing our frustration with the people we love is a must - they need to know how we feel and we need to let off steam sometimes. Equally, fighting for human rights and battling injustice is a duty. However, the kind of complaining that never ends, never finds a positive outlet and makes one feel miserable can almost be treated as a sin - avoidable at all costs. Let's substitute complaining with praying - our lives will take a positive turn, and we will have made this world a better place to live.
I have recently returned from the holiday of my dreams: ten days in sun-kissed (well, most of the time) New England, travelling around quaint villages, enjoying tours of three Ivy League Universities, including my beloved Princeton in NJ, where I lived for a year, visiting the charming districts of Boston, finishing off with a 'You're fired' cocktail in the Trump Tower on 5th Avenue and a stroll in Central Park in NY.
Very generous friends let us stay in their gorgeous house filled with children and joy. Their kindness allowed us to relax and live and breathe Connecticut. My excitement reached its peak when we stayed in Princeton, NJ, where I was privileged to stay for a year in 2001/2002. I loved roaming around the trendy shops, enjoying walks around the campus, meeting up with old friends. On the second night I woke up at about 2am, and seriously considered walking out of the hotel to admire the hundreds of fireflies fluttering around campus - however, common sense got the best of me and I just imagined them as I lay in bed. 'Well,' I thought 'that must be a sign. I must come back here, again, and have a proper look at them!' If you think this sounds like a feeble excuse for another holiday...maybe you're right.
Returning home was difficult, and I was keen on complaining...'Our holiday was too short! I wish God had made things different for us...I wish we could have spent a month there...I wish we could live there..!' These are few of the complaints my husband has had to endure for a couple of days. Then lightning struck...what if God had not given us this holiday?
2. ANOTHER KIND OF SUFFERING THAT LEADS TO JOY!
Being a mother is the hardest job in the world. No, you don't need the skills of a brain surgeon but you certainly need the patience of a saint! Our little one is s good little girl, but the first three months with her were challenging. My work schedule was heavier than Gordon Brown's - 13, 14 hours of work a day were simply not enough...I had to be available 24/7! I did cry myself to sleep (when I could) out of exhaustion, then, as Elizabeth grew, demands on me decreased, as she began to enjoy the pleasures of sleep.
Motherhood can be the source of a lot of suffering, and I feel for the mothers of murderers and paedophiles. Yet, it is without a doubt the most amazing experience a woman will ever have: loving a child more than yourself is the most joyful and fulfilling way of living.
A mother's love has no end. Let's pray for all the mothers, that they may be supported in their difficult and wonderful role.
God Bless You
1 comment:
Yes i complain far too much..particularly with aspects the illness i have...& yes we must pray for all mothers...not all kids turn out shiny & new...& some have serious medical conditions..
Praise & thanksgiving help...praise God for my 10 blessings...like your blog!
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