Film at 11 … again?
No. Overcoming adversity doesn’t always make the news
If you’re like me, you still like to watch the evening news. I’ll admit, the local news always seems to include pet owner issues, wrong way drivers, meth, death and drugs. The national news brings us Bria Williams and he’s hard not to like. We still find other redeemable portions.
Strange sidenote, why do I remember so many news anchor names from the past? Probably because my mom and dad always enjoyed watching the news together. Connie and I are the same way. Coincidence? Common thread?
On occasion there will be a story about someone who is doing something to improve their situation or that of others. The story will come at the very end of the newscast to leave us viewers with a positive view of the world or, at least, that news channel. In the end, after all, it IS all about the ratings.:-)
In the past few months and years, we’ve all seen the remarkable stories. These dreadful stories include the young girl in Hawaii that lost her arm to a shark. The aspiring model that lost an eye because of spinning airplane propeller. The girl in the south that lost many limbs and skin due to MRSA. All three of these horrific stories come with a great sense of faith, healing and power being shared. These are incredible people. At a minimum their story is incredible.
What makes them different from you and me? Is it more than just their circumstance? The guy in the picture above could be any one of us.
The past few years haven’t been easy for you and me. But, time goes on. Babies are born, people die, tests are taken, classes are held. We still have to put gas in the tank and find time to just “be.” Time doesn’t stop. I remember coming home from my surgery in Phoenix. From the minute that I walked in the door, I realized that none of my problems had gone away. I had lost most of my eyesight and my daily life on earth kept right on going. That’s when I noticed that the world was “happening to me.”
So, how could I switch that around? How could I “happen to the world”?
After much thought, prayer and discussion I’ve concluded that I CAN happen to the world by offering my life experiences and helping others to overcome adversity.
In my recent post about the Bearcats and the Buckeyes, I gave you the H for “honesty” in HOPE.
The second part to gaining HOPE is all about giving. The “O” is for Offering. We have to offer ourselves to others.
You see, “no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care” – Theodore Roosevelt.
The term Offering can be applied in so many ways. If you think about it, the best way is for you to step outside of your comfort zone and do something that no one is expecting. My kids think it’s weird when I say “hello” to people who I don’t know or ask the waiter/waitress’ name. Do those people think that I’m weird? Maybe, but I’ll bet you more of them like it than hate it. What can it hurt? Is that something that you normally do? Why don’t you try it? What’s the worse thing that could happen?
You would make someones day, that’s for sure. It might even be yours.
What are some thiings that you can do to offer yourself to others that are not expecting it? It doesn’t have to cost you a dime. In fact those offerings can be even MORE special.
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