Alive

James 1:2 – Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.

Do you know those days?

Yes, those ones.

Where nothing makes sense, the weather is too hot, you are too busy, you are not busy, your finances are plummeting (or have plummeted), your health is stable but you do not feel well at all, your future is uncertain, you had a fight with someone, you wish you never did something, you are in a constant state of worry, you wonder why you even got out of bed in the first place that morning, you are getting angrier than usual over the smallest things, your phone is ringing but it is not the person you want to talk to, you haven’t taken a decent selfie in AGES because for some reason your face hates the camera now, and you could have sworn that the dress you tried on this morning fit JUST FINE last week meaning you GAINED weight despite eating smaller portions and taking the stairs???????????

Yes, those days.

Your emotions have been paused on “distress” and all you can do is wonder what your bed is up to. If it misses you as much as you miss it. But ho-hum, you have about 8 hours left of your day, and you are already exhausted. Plus, it is your turn to cook for the family tonight so now you have to be creative.

Then someone, with the purest of intentions, comes up to you with a huge smile on their face and asks with A-class audacity…. “How are you?” … you feel like laying down all your troubles before their feet. You want to whine and complain… and cry… but you suck it up and tell them that you are, and I quote, “fine thanks and you?”.

Honestly speaking…

How am I?

…

“I am alive. Nothing great is happening, but I am alive… and that is all that matters.”

You smile. Then leave it at that.

You see, sometimes in life, when absolutely NOTHING goes our way, we forget the little things that are working out for us. It is completely normal to have an off-day. But never forget that you are ALIVE during that off-day.

God preserved you during the night time where you are most vulnerable. He protected you during your transits, He fed you even if it was not exactly the meal you wanted, He clothed you… kept you safe… and most importantly, He saw your name on the list, and said: “I will give him/her this day”.

Sometimes we are so caught up with what is taking too long or what is not working at all that we forget that we are breathing throughout the mess. If you are reading this, it means you have a purpose greater than how you feel right now!

So give thanks and carry on with your day! Even if it means dragging your feet to the fridge and tearing up because you cannot untangle your earphones.