You can be the light in someone’s darkness today. You could be their greatest joy.
Or you can be their worst nightmare.
You can be someone’s giggle or someone’s tears.
The choice is yours.
I’m a Christian, but I’m not just talking about issues of faith and God. I’m talking about light, life and happiness. I’m talking about laughter, encouragement and love.
Or, anger, sadness and insults. Degradation, bitterness and death.
This is a picture of my son, Trey, with my almost-six-year-old grandson, Joshua:
You can see how much fun they have, and how inspiring Trey is to his nephew.
Some kids Trey’s age are stealing from their parents for drug money. Others are in prison or dead.
But not my son; he’s employed part-time and going to college full-time, working toward becoming an Occupational Therapist.
Not that my son’s any better than your child, or YOU, for that matter. I’m just proud of him and feel it’s necessary to tell the world about my kids when I have the chance.
While they have the choice of bringing pure HELL to those around them, both my children have made it their life’s goal to spread LIGHT in this gloomy world.
Like my daughter, Jess. She and her husband, Josh, are temporarily split up, because he had a drug relapse. He’s told people this and said it’s OK to talk about, to a certain extent. Jess admits that, sometimes, it’d be easier to just quit and walk away, but God is challenging all our ideas of love through this, and she refuses to give up on Josh.
She’s chosen life and love, even though sometimes it’s the more difficult choice.
Just so we’re clear, “staying” isn’t always the best choice, as in the case of a good friend of mine, and my own sister, who were both almost killed by violent ex-husbands. But when you have someone like Josh, who has a great heart and is a wonderful father, sometimes, love is the right decision. It’s not the EASY one, but the right one.
Even though Jess is working nights and misses her children, she’s still a GREAT mom. She’s doing the absolute best she can, and is encouraging and uplifting. Her and Josh both could be using the kids as leverage against the other, bickering and spitting anger and insults on each other. But they don’t. They’re making the most out of a difficult situation and working towards reconciliation.
You and I both have seen parents or guardians who are bitter and spiteful toward the little ones in their care. We’ve witnessed children who are terrified of their parents, and feel their wrath for even the tiniest of indiscretions.
Then we’ve watched others who lift their children up instead of tearing them down. They forgive when others feel they should lash out. They love, when others—and even their own minds—tell them to hate.
“Sever the ties!” they scream. “They deserve it!”
But love won’t let us do that.
Real love has no borders. Love draws no lines in the sand.
Love knows no boundaries or limits. Oft times, love is the most arduous and liberating decision available.
However, for those of us who have made it our life’s goal to spread light and laughter instead of darkness and tears, it’s the ONLY option.
You can either be life or death to those around you.
It’s your choice.
“Look at what I’ve done for you today: I’ve placed in front of you:
“Life and Good
Death and Evil
“And I command you today: Love God, your God. Walk in his ways. Keep his commandments, regulations, and rules so that you will live, really live, live exuberantly, blessed by God, your God, in the land you are about to enter and possess.
“But I warn you: If you have a change of heart, refuse to listen obediently, and willfully go off to serve and worship other gods, you will most certainly die. You won’t last long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
“ I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. And love God, your God, listening obediently to him, firmly embracing him. Oh yes, he is life itself, a long life settled on the soil that God, your God, promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Deuteronomy 30:15-20 MSG)”
Broken People 