Every once in a blue moon I scroll through the pages of Facebook and when I do this I am always amazed at the people who openly complain about their lives.
Self-pity is a horrible place to live. In someway the previous sentence is an oxymoron. How alive are we if we are always sitting on the pity pot?
The opening quote by Helen Keller is so spot on!
There are a lot of people fighting uphill battles right now and one was added to my prayer list about a week ago.
I received a message from a friend who told me about a book he thought I might like; “Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life,” by Eric Greitens.
I hadn’t talked to this friend in years. He and I played basketball together at Ohio Northern University.
I downloaded the book shortly after he sent me the message because I was intrigued with the title and I also knew if my friend took the time to tell me about it, it was something I needed to read.
The book did not fail. It is chock-full of all kinds of wisdom on perseverance and resilience. The book was written by a former Navy Seal. Obviously the author knows a lot about resilience and he is also a very good writer.
I sent my friend a message thanking him for the heads up on the book and asked how he was doing. He messaged me back and told me the reason he had read the book was because he was trying to stay positive in a very tough situation as he is currently battling Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
My stomach dropped when I read his words.
He was one of our ‘big men’ on our basketball team and was a very sturdy/tough guy. I told him if anyone was going to whip this thing, he would. I reminded him of our grueling basketball practices under ‘Coach D,’ and how I hoped those prepared him to handle the very difficult challenges his treatments would present.
I also told him I was adding him to my morning prayer list (the list now includes 13 people battling cancer.) He thanked me and said, “Prayers are asked for and appreciated.”
It always amazes me how some people are able to face adversity and some aren’t. I know my buddy will take on this battle with every ounce of energy he has and a God who is bigger than any obstacle he will be facing.
Isaiah 63:9, “In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”
P.E.A.C.E.
Jay@EagleLaunch.com
