I saw an elderly woman with a cane in the gym yesterday. She seemed to be struggling a little and it caught my attention. Me, being me, talked to her for just a second. I told her a little bit of what I’d gone through and told her that if she would stay with this, I guaranteed it would get easier.

Her trainer came up to me later and said she is over 85, had suffered a stroke, and relied more and more on her cane. She was frustrated and seemed to be tired of trying. However, after talking to me she seemed to have a new fire and was going to try a little harder.

Now to me, I felt a little silly. I mean I was comparing apples to oranges! But she heard something else. She heard that you can overcome your circumstances by hard work and consistency.

While thinking about some things that have happened recently a saying that has served me well came to me " "it isn't what happens to you. It is how you REACT to what happens to you. Sometimes a door must close in order for another one to open. Don't lose the blessing."

All I know is that the door to the past is closed, and there is a wonderful door ahead. It may not be the door I THOUGHT that it would be, but that makes it more exciting. Sometimes it may be a door which leads you to a struggling 85 year old woman.

So keep preaching even when it seems it is falling on deaf ears. I know I will. And all it takes is one person to make it all worthwhile. She made today worthwhile for me. I wonder who it will be tomorrow.

The Wooden Heart

A few years ago while on a mission’s trip doing disaster relief I found a wooden heart embedded in the ground. It was completely covered with mud and all kinds of nasty things. We have no idea where it came from or how far the tornado carried it. But as I was cleaning debris I found it, covered it in my bandana and stuck it in my pocket. Later when I came home and unpacked everything I found it, cleaned it as best I could and kept it in my living room as a reminder. Sometimes our hearts become so encrusted with the dirt of life, it almost seems hopeless. But all you need to do is clean off the crud, and a beautiful new heart is revealed.

It’s the same with people. Sometimes we get so sucked into bad habits and bad choices that it doesn’t seem we’ll ever become “clean” again. But if we slowly start making changes, we can watch the old layers slowly start to be removed. And soon, just like with my wooden heart, a new person will be revealed. Better than before because you’ve weathered the storm and survived.

So in this season of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for family and friends, but also thankful for the choices I am making towards my new life. A cleaner life.