This is a little more than "Ow, I stubbed my toe"

So there's a blog that I follow somewhat regularly. I pop on over there from time to time. He writes funny stuff and serious stuff.

Today's post really hit home for me

You can read it here. Lengthy, but worth it.

For those of you who are somewhat lazy  don't have time to read it, let me sum up for you.
It's based loosely on this quote


Henry David Thoreau once said, “the price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it."

Time is the only thing that is equal for all of us. Money, things, even relationships can be replaced, renewed. Time cannot be.  He then went on to say how often we fight for the things that CAN be replaced. In doing this we give up precious time- often days and years- that CANNOT be replaced.

Really, it's worth the read. If you stop reading this now and just go read that, I'd call this a successful post.

But for those of you that will stick around, this got my mind thinking about things that have been on it for awhile now. I'd say a simple, yet complex lesson that I began learning 1 year and 9 months and 6 days ago.

People. Will. Always. Be. More. Important.

It's so sad that losing my dad had to be the catalyst that got me to realize is true. But it was a learning experience in so many areas of my life; this was no exception.

You see, I've always been kinda a perfectionist (shocker, I know) But you know what I realized after my dad passed away? Memories that you make during your life are some of the most precious things you can and will ever have. You never get that time back to make them over again. And, if you're doing it right, it will probably never seem like you have ENOUGH time with those people you cherish.

How has this changed me?

Well for one thing, I'm so much less afraid to say what I'm feeling now. I'm super emotional. Always have been, probably always will be. Some would even say sappy. I wear my heart on my sleeve, but many times in the past, I've been less than open about my feelings toward people or telling them how much they mean to me. Not so anymore. Life is too short to withhold love (I use that word loosely) from those around you. Don't you like being built up? Feeling like you're important to someone you care about? Hell, I know I do. In fact, it means the world to me. I say I love you a lot more now than I used to. Not because I feel it more, but because it is more important to me for the people in my life to know they are valuable to me. That they add to my life.

Secondly, I'm not as worried to be "judged" by the things I do say. Yes, I might go overboard sometimes. I might just be overcome at some point, say something ridiculously cheesy/sappy, but guess what? That's me. And it is completely genuine. That's how I was feeling. As long as it's not a negative feeling, I see no reason to feel "bad". Yeah, I might feel silly for a few minutes or a day. But in the long-run, I'll be much happier that person knew how I felt. And I'll think "Oh Well" instead of "What If". It's a freeing feeling.

Thirdly, and probably most difficult for me, is dealing with hurt. I think this is why that article spoke so much to me. You see, I don't have very thick skin. I never really have. When someone says something to me, I often times take it very personally. This opens me up for a lot of potential hurt. Hurt, it eats away at you. It eclipses your life, eating away at relationships, self- esteem and just about everything it can touch.

And let me tell you- I've had a lot of hurt in my life.

Which is why this article was so good for me to read.

Regardless of what the hurt is from, we have a choice. We can choose to embrace it or acknowledge it and move on.

Yes, I have been hurt in life. Yes, I will continue to get hurt in life. That's life. It comes with good and it comes with bad. But I have the choice whether or not to DWELL on it. and I choose not to.

I say this now, which I'm sure means tomorrow, I'll wake up and there will be a hurt in my life. Be it big or small, it will be there. Taunting me and trying to burrow into my heart.

Thank the Lord I have a Savior who is stronger than that. Because how I see it, it then no longer becomes about the hurt. It becomes about the surrender. Saying "Lord, hear is my pain. I have no idea how you're going to use it for good, BUT I know you can."

I know this was kind of a serious, lengthy post. Thanks if you read it all.
I'd love your comments about this post. Let me know what you think about  Dan's article, my thoughts or just life in general. Hope to hear from ya!