Recently someone encouraged me to blog about something "real" such as the plight in Sudan. Yes, the situation in Sudan is devastating (and I just might bring it up in another blog) and I actually only have heard fragment of news of such devastating conditions, but it made me contemplate what is "real" in our lives anyway. Do we have to search overseas to discover hardships that are real or can we discover real life in our everyday lives?
Isn't is real when we feel lonely in our marriage, mourn over the bad choices our children might be making, or live a lie and not able to tell the truth to our family about our broken marriage? Isn't it real when we can't pay our bills on time or when we have to take on a second job to make ends meet? Isn't it real when our babies smile for the first time or when we feel a peace when the sun sets - a reminder of who really is in control? Isn't it real when we acknowledge God's love, yet don't allow Him to love us, or when we don't take the time to discover Him through His Word? So many times we look to take care of others or get angry at the world when really we have been ignoring our own thoughts, feelings, or hunger for more. If we are not truthful with ourselves, doesn't it seem we start finding fault in others or carry around a chip on our shoulders?
The plight in Sudan, the governmental hopelessness in Thailand, the bankruptcy in Iceland, or the environmental changes all over the world is real, but we often ignore what is in our lives is also real. Let's be honest with ourselves. Let's talk about our marriage, our children, our personal longing for something more, or our disappointments. Or the sweet unexpected smile from our beautiful children, or the surprising turn of events in our lives. Our everyday lives are real. Let's be real with one another and maybe we can stop the pretending. Let us lighten the load and be a honest friend, sibling, parent, child, or spouse. And then maybe we can be honest about what is real in our own lives.
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What is a REAL friend? Where can you find a REAL friend? How about the manager of a bank? Someone you've never met before, someone you have nothing in common with - except you're both real women, real daughters, real mothers? A few years ago, when I was confined to a wheelchair all the time, and needed a lot of help using the bank, this manager, younger than I, a beautifully dressed black woman, seemed to take a shine to me, and I loved her and admired her.Over many months she helped me a lot with my banking - but we also chatted and shared like two women who like each other will do. One day when I went to the bank, she wasn't there! She had been transferred as main manager to anothher branch! But the other branch wasn't far away and I knew how to get there on the bus. Finally today when I had some business to do, I went there. She was absolutely DELIGHTED to see me: she gave me a snapshot of her with her daughhter, and she asked me if I'd like to come have brunch after church some Sunday with her mama and her sisters?? WOULD I?? Isn't it wonderful to find a real friend in a bank? And I'm so glad to have a space right here to talk about it.
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