I've Seen the Lightning Flashing

 we've all encountered plenty of selfish people in our lives.  we know the sort who can only complain about their own problems, whose entire conversation is filled with "woe-is-me" talk.  there are others we encounter who can speak only of their own accomplishments and possessions.  they may brag about their children, but it is obvious that they consider their children to me nothing more than an extension of themselves.  we avoid such people and have little sympathy for them.  yet when we stop and consider, we realize that their complaining or their bragging is a cover for profound voids in their lives.  inside they are hurting.  they either feel that life has been unfair to them and has cursed them with trials no one else has to endure or that they must "toot their own horn," so to speak, to make others realize that they have value and are just as good, probably better, than everyone else.  because they see themselves as having little worth, they must constantly seek to elevate themselves above the others around them.  the complainers and the braggers need our compassion, not our ridicule and avoidance.  

fortunately, most people are not like this.  most of us see others in the light of our own experiences and are aware that we share so much.  we all want the best for ourselves and our children.  we want to live comfortable lives, blessed with the essentials of day-to-day life.  we want to be free of confrontation and violence.  we want the simple pleasures that make life worth living.  we want to be loved, valued, respected.  there are many who have difficulty achieving these desires.  they are forced to live surrounded by conflict or to do without food, shelter, and warmth.  others are estranged from those they love through no fault of their own.  yet, we are often surprised that those who are unable to possess the ingredients for happiness that most of us take for granted are filled with joy, even in the midst of their struggles.

perhaps it is that they are joyful, not in spite of, but because of life's difficulties.  they have developed a mental fortitude that enables them transform their difficulties into opportunities.  we've all heard the expression, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade."  trite as the saying is, there's a great deal of truth in it.  life is indeed what we make of it.  tragedy, sorrow, and loss can transform us, making us see that we are one with all the others of the earth.  everyone experiences these difficulties.  suffering is universal.  without trials, we cannot know the problems others face, and we must turn our vision toward that common experience that all share.  we must develop compassion for the hurts of others if we are to overcome our own hurts.

may we contemplate a life that is built on deep-seated joy, not on the trivial pursuit of happiness.  may we place our faith in the strengths of our own minds, not in a great santa claus in the sky.  if we worship a god, may it be a God of ultimate, infinite compassion, rather than a vengeful god of rules and rituals.  may each of us find joy in the midst of suffering.  shalom.