Causing Discouragement or Encouragement - WWJD

Tonight - typing out into the oblivion that is called the world wide web, I'm wondering if anyone else is completely overwhelmed with life circumstances?  It seems you can barely have a thought without it being taken the wrong way, whenever someone comes to speak to you, you just automatically grab a chair b/c you know nothing good is coming, every moment is filled with a stutter of hesitation as you wait for 'the other foot to drop'!  If you're reading this nodding your head yes, Yes, YES - Exactly!!  Then you are not alone, I'm right there with you.

Staying motivated to keep chuggin' along is kinda difficult at this point, and in the back of my mind I KNOW I have it easy.  There are so many hurting, truly hurting people out there.  I don't even feel my discouragement, in what would be deemed 'petty' (if I could view the big picture), can be justified.  Words are so powerful.  Even though I am merely typing to a monitor right now, I need to remember someone ... maybe only One someone ... may read this post.  Will it be a seed of discouragement or encouragement?

This thought has put a lot of pressure on me, and that's difficult because I love to talk.  I always thought when people always smiled, even through publicly hard times in their life, they were not being real.  They were putting on a front and I could not wrap my head around the question, "why?".  Why would someone want to act like everything was jolly when it wasn't?  In no way have I discovered the answer, but I think if I were to do that it would be to spare feelings.

If I tasted something terrible, I wouldn't put it on a platter and serve it to my friend.  Much the same, whatever has transpired that put a terrible feeling in my heart I don't want to do the same thing to someone else.  Everything may not be rainbows and butterflies - but I know in the end God has a plan - so I can rest in Him.
(Psalms 55:22 (KJV)
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.)

There are several people I've known in my lifetime that went through hard times just like everyone else, but I Never knew it until I was much older.  I remember thinking they had the 'perfect-life' b/c they never looked burdened.  Come to find out, there were major financial hardships, health problems, family issues, and on and on.  What a testimony to God.  They put this verse into action and received the peace only He can give.

Life is hard.  No doubt about it.  We have a real enemy.  In the end though - how I react to what is given to me determines whether I will be an encouragement or a discouragement to others.  It's hard to tell what others might be going through.  I want to share with my friends the good, the bad, and the ugly, but not at the expense of their own peace.  Tranquility is really quite precious.

As a young child I learned the secret to 'JOY' is:   Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last.  I was recently reminded of that again and realized, somewhere along my journey in this life I mixed up that order.  I'm positive I will not be flawless in my effort to be more of an encouragement to others, but I'm asking the Lord to keep me ever aware of others and to take my eyes off my own self.

So!  How are YOU doing?  I hope God has blessed you in a special way today.  Please know, you are a very special creation in His eyes and you Are loved.  What a wonderful thought!  :)

Jeremiah 31:3 (KJV)  ... Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: ...