People

WHAT IF?

by Stacey Williams
11/18/19
Not For Sale
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There was this saying I heard growing up, "No matter how bad you think you have it, someone, somewhere has it worse than you do,  so be grateful."

I woke up this morning to no good news. One of my moms really good friend and one of my best friends uncle, passed this morning after being in the hospital paralyzed from the neck down for two weeks, hit by an 18 wheeler. 

Then at the end of the day a text from my pastor, a family from church whose 16 year old son stage 3 cancer elevated to stage 4, another tumor popped up. He was diagnosed with stage 3 brain cancer when he was 15, last week singing praise songs, talking asking what day it was and asked for something to eat. The strange thing, he was in recovery from surgery. I call him young Job. Every chance he got before his surgery he’ll testify in church of God’s love and how he stays trusting in him. 

Between both pieces of news, my co-worker complains she’s having a bad day. Work was slow. I asked her if she was really having a bad day. She said yes. She said today sucks. I said no it doesn’t, it’s a great day. She said "Stacey I don’t need your positivity right now." We all laughed. I told her I can make your day better. She said "I know you can so don’t." We all laughed again. A little while after I told the girls what happened to my moms friend. My co worker then said “oh now I’m not having a bad day.” I was trying to get her to see that this is a really petty thing to complain about. I told her she woke up this morning, she has mobility of all her limbs and with God's willing, you’ll have a Christmas with your family. 

Now before all this, I too thought I wasn't having a bad start of the month! Continually pulling on God to get my joy back. Forcing smiles and struggles to get dressed up for work. No zeal to make your face look public ready. I really don't want to put makeup on but when customers have to see my face over emails, I’ve got no choice. Don’t want to talk to anyone to avoid them asking me if I’m okay, etc. I thought I was having bad days. 

What if we actually thought about others during our time of sorrow? Whether it be a health issue, work related, personal whatever we believe to be our “bad day.” We’ll start to count our blessings and thank the Lord for all that He has given us right? What if as soon as open our eyes we just gave thanks for all that we have right now. 

What if we started our day being grateful, how minor will our “problems” be then? I try my best to teach my 16 year old this. That no matter how bad a day she thinks she’s having, someone somewhere would be grateful for our problem. I remind myself by thanking God I’m on the land of the living, I’m on this side of the earth, I have all my limbs intact , my family is safe, alive and well. I have a roof over my head, clean clothes, a job and I’m in my right mind. 

Oh you bet I have to remind myself many times, what I have or better yet what the Lord allows me to keep. What if we asked the Lord to show us who needs prayer instead of bellowing in our troubles? 

What if we just walked with a servants heart? We’ll always be looking to help others and not worry about our crisis. I believe while we’re serving, our situation is already worked out because God already fixed our problem before it even comes knocking on our doorstep. 

What if we kept our minds and our hearts on Him? What if we can forget our problems? What would you do knowing your situation is already taken care of. What if we exchanged our burdens for joy? 

What if?