Mountaintop Life

There's a reason for any cliche comparing life to mountains and valleys. There are up and down experiences literally waiting around every corner. They (whoever "they" are) always say if you're not on a mountain you're in a valley. That's terribly depressing!

Unfortunately, I have to somewhat agree. Life is one way or the other, most of the time. There is the third option, though. The in betweener...you could be going up the mountain, "the uphill battle" , or tumbling down the other side "the fall". Either way, neither one sounds fun to me.

The best trick you can learn for this long and arduous experience is to find your own happy. Make your own fun. The hard truth is no one is getting around these. I had a Christian counselor tell me once, that we are living in a fallen world that is full of ups and downs. And we're all having that same experience.

That made sense to me. No matter how you may perceive someone else and their "happy life" they are struggling somewhere. Their marriage may not be perfect, their job, their kids, whatever. Social media is nothing but a digital projector making everyone's lives look perfect.

The best we can hope for, unless we are diehard optimists, is for life to be good in spurts. Moments of elation, flashes of joy. Because there will also be flurries of failure and bundles of worry. It's the in betweeners that keep it all going. Elements like FORGIVENESS, that keep all relationships rolling. Dot connectors like GRACE where you give people second chances and the benefit of the doubt. Life doesn't have to be lived in the extreme up or down. If it is, you're probably missing the point.

I hope this is a happy day for you today, or at least tolerable. Take the time to ask yourself if there's any way you can make it better. Is there someone you need to forgive? Or a beloved person who needs a grace card. Remember, you may find yourself on the other side someday needing forgiveness or grace. Look for reasons to keep loved ones in your life, not throw them away. You never know what gift you could be forfeiting!