All We...

Why is it that we tend to think that we are the only one who struggles? Why do we think that nobody else is going through or ever dealt with the stuff that we are going through and dealing with?

Somehow, we convince ourselves that everyone else has their stuff together. Everyone else is normal and we are abnormal. No one else understands. No one else can relate.

I think these thoughts are exactly what the devil wants us to think.

The truth is that none of us are normal. We all struggle. We all go through difficulties. Every one of us is flawed and imperfect.

The problem is a kind of a circular problem that feeds itself. If we think that we are the only ones with struggles, difficulties and problems than we try to pretend that we don't have them because we don't want people to know that we are different. This makes others think that we have it all together. So, they now think they are the only ones with problems and difficulties and struggles so they pretend they don't have them so that others don't think they are different. This just keeps perpetuating itself until we are all just pretending that we got it all together yet behind close doors and deep inside we wonder why we are the only ones with these difficulties and struggles.

What we all have in common is our brokenness. What we all have in common is our struggles and difficulties. We all are imperfect and abnormal.

I am convinced that what we need to do is stop hiding. Stop hiding for our sake and for Christ sake. We need to be honest about our struggles and difficulties because it frees us and others to see that we are all in the same boat. We are not alone. God is with us and cares about our struggles and difficulties. If we are real about our lives, our love and our relationship with God then wee can share how God has helped us through the difficulties of our lives . We need relationships in our lives that God can work through. Relationships where we can know and be known by others. Love and be loved. Relationships where we don't have to pretend and can support one another and carry one another s burdens.

You are not alone.

I struggle too.

We all do.

All we like sheep have gone astray. Not one of us has it all together.

Love today.

In Christ's love and mine,

Doug