Monday, January 23, 2012

What are you waiting for??

A couple of weeks ago, a humongous blessing and miracle happened.
We were speechless.
I (no surprise) cried.
After I gathered my composure, I apologized for crying and said (with all positivity!),
"that's what I'm going to work on in 2012 ~ to NOT get emotional and cry like this!"
Mike said, "honey, don't say that!  That's one thing that I love about you, your beautiful heart!"

In all my life, it has always been difficult to share my heart without crying.
It is something I am sometimes embarrassed about, 
but,
It's part of who I am.
When I was a child, I remember crying while watching Dumbo.
I used to cry at the end of each episode of the Incredible Hulk
when David Banner was walking down the road all by himself, in his post-Hulk clothing.
I remember watching a show on television about orphans in Russia. 
I will never forget bawling my eyes out after seeing the children who lived in the orphanages.
The children rarely received attention. 
Some were 4 and 5 years old and didn't even know how to walk because
there wasn't anyone in the orphanage who cared about them. 
They were still in cribs because the muscles in their legs weren't strong enough for them to walk. 
Some of the cribbed children would purposely hurt themselves
(to the point of breaking their own arms or legs)
JUST so a person would come to their temporary rescue and pick them up.

They wanted to feel LOVE.

Last night we watched the movie Soul Surfer.  If you haven't seen it, I highly suggest it for the entire family!
It's an EXCELLENT movie of persistence, bravery, faith, love, inspiration, and family.
Bethany Hamilton is a pure example of drive, possibility, and positivity!  A couple of years after the shark attack, she went to Thailand on a mission trip with her youth group (after the 2004 Tsunami). 
While she was there, she witnessed the devastation, chaos, orphaned children, and despair.
She was overwhelmed.
She began to cry.
(I was thinking, "oh my gosh!!!, that's TOTALLY me right there!")

She acted embarrassed, almost ashamed that she was the only one crying. 
She didn't know how to process what she was seeing and experiencing. 
She apologized for it. 
One of the leaders of the group said to her,

"Compassion can drive us to do amazing things and give us perspective." 

That made COMPLETE sense to me! 

 In the movie, Bethany had compassion for the children in Thailand.
That compassion drove her to do amazing things and put things in perspective.
She only has one arm, but she
was able to teach some of children how to surf,
brought smiles to faces that had not smiled in a while,
brought love into their lives,
and 
taught them that no matter what the circumstances are, they could all make a difference!
During the trip, she said,

"I could never have embraced this many people with two arms."

If she wasn't attacked by that shark, she would have never been in Thailand,
making a difference in these precious lives!

Your calling in life may not be mine. 
My calling in life may not be yours.
You  will touch different people in your life than I will.
I will touch different people in my life than you will.
You may believe differently than I do.
I may believe differently than you do.
You may have a different outlook on life than I do.
I may have a different outlook on life than you do.
You may be moved by things that don't move me.
I may be moved by things that don't move you.
You may have different challenges in life than I do.
I may have different challenges in life than you do.
We are all unique. 
Created by the Master of the Universe.


No matter your circumstances, experiences, skill level, talents, or location, 
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!

What are you waiting for?

Make it happen!!!!!
XOXOXOXOXOOOOOO