In the end . . .

Some of you know that the past few days have been "hell" for me, to be completely honest. I'm learning a lot as a person and as a business owner as I deal with what's been put in my way. The exerpt below came at just the right time. As did another email that I received yesterday.

Yesterday I received an email from a Daily Devotion that I subscribe to. It came at just the right time. It was titled "The Work of Peace" and here is what struck me most in that devotional:

Peace is never found in walking away from our fears, but in walking into them. Like the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz, courage comes when you care enough for someone that you will face into your fears on their behalf. It takes this kind of work to be a peacemaker.

Think about where there is conflict in your life and ask God to show you how you can make peace. It’s true that a relationship is made up of two people, and if there is a conflict, both have to want to make peace in order to achieve it. We can’t change the other person, but we can do our part to create the environment for reconciliation.

If there is a chasm in a relationship, you may have to reach all the way across to establish peace, but won’t it be worth it? God didn’t stay on his throne of righteousness, but reached all the way through the cross to bridge the chasm to us. Halfway is probably not far enough.

To be honest, this year has not started off in a good way. What I am encountering I never in a thousand years thought would happen. Life definitely throws you curve balls and you must be ready for them. It reminds me that you can't predict anything. It also reminds me that it is how you react to the curve ball thrown at you that will ultimately be what teaches you the life lesson, and it is that which matters the most regardless of whether you "win" or "lose". In the end it is always how you walk away from it.

In the end, yes holding onto your dignity should matter, but if you have to let go of that dignity to walk away gaining a sense of peace and understanding knowing that you did your very best as a human being put on this earth for obstacles such as this, then you know you did right and there's nothing more that can be done. And that is exactly how I am starting to feel.

Again, for the second time within 3 months, I've learned that people aren't always how they appear to be. For the second time I have been badly hurt, but I am learning powerful lessons from these things. I know this has been a test for me.

Today what really stood out to me where these words:

"Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. . .
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

What will matter is not what you learned
but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity,compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example."

Today's lesson: it's always how you walk away from things that truly matter. Dignity or no dignity. It's your integrity that matters most, doing what you know is right, walking away holding onto that valuable lesson, and hopefully emulating this to people like your children who see what you do and how you react to things such as this every day.