I think anyone who knows me knows that I don't have a lot of sympathy for things sometimes. I have empathy, but I don't have a lot of sympathy for adults and choices that adults make that get them in certain situations, including myself.
But when it comes to animals or children, I have so much sympathy sometimes that it literally hurts my stomach.
Oh man, do I need a reality check sometimes. It is so easy to get down and discouraged and frustrated over things that don't go your way. I have been feeling a little discouraged myself the last few days. But sometimes, I will read things that just snap me out of it. I think everyone is owed a day or two of self pity every once in a while. But that's all I choose to allow myself anymore, especially when I read something that just makes me think of how blessed I am.
Everyone has problems. Everyone. And I don't mean to downplay other people's problems, trust me, I have a share of my own. And everyone's problems are very serious to the person that is experiencing them, however, I will tell you that there are certain people in the world who experience a great deal more suffering than I ever will. Not to compare, but what I have going on in my life is nothing compared to what other people endure.
I read a blog about a little boy named Jonah. When I first read the blog, I cried. It brought tears to my eyes. Jonah has a condition known as EB and from what I can understand, it's a condition in which skin is literally missing from your body. As I read about the family's story, they lost one child in the womb from this disease and now their son Jonah has it. Click here to read her story.
His mother keeps in close contact with family's of other children who have this disease. As you can imagine, this disease does not go away and kids do not usually live long because of the infections and problems that come with it. His mother changes dressings 2 times a day, deals with his feeding tube, deals with him being sick, watches him suffer every single day with this condition. She hears other women whose children are suffering. The amount of suffering she bears is just beyond comprehension.
She has faith in God. A very strong faith in God. His story reminds me alot of Job in the Bible. Through the suffering, he still praised God and so does she. Jonah is too young to understand, but his mother treats him like any normal child and tries to make his childhood as normal as possible.
I read her blog. I can't do it everyday, but I do read it. It makes me so sad. It makes me feel guilty. Guilty for all of the stupid stuff I spend my life worrying about. I try not to get angry anymore about circumstances, and I really don't, usually. But I do worry. And reading her blog makes me realize that life is too precious to spend your life worrying or fretting or being upset over stuff that simply doesn't matter all that much, in the grand scheme of things.
The other thing I read this week that has my stomach in knots is the story of this little girl.
I am almost in tears, just thinking about it. One thing I fear the most of living back in a house is someone coming in the window in the middle of the night and either attacking us or taking Avery. I try really hard not to read stories of babies getting hurt or abducted because I just can't take it. It makes me scared to death, worried. When I read this, I felt like I was going to throw up.
I hope someone finds this baby and she is alive and well. I pray for it.
I don't want to make this post so sad, but if you've got healthy children today, hug them. If you are healthy and have a roof, thank God. I don't know who needed to hear this today, but I know I sure did.
Comments