You Can't Run Fast Enough

It seeps into your soul like the cold, dampness of the bitter winter cold that is creeping into your bones.  It eats away at the edges of your mind no matter how hard you work to push it back with busy duties.  It comes into the quietness of the night by evading your sleep and becoming your dreams.

Sometimes it remains dormant like a bad cancer cell waiting to be ignited and other times it is so active the best medication can't knock it back.  It is like the demon dog chasing you on a dirty dusty country road, you can't run fast enough to get away.  What is it? 

Those of you like me recognize it for what it is.  You know it well, you fight it sometimes more often than others, sometimes you succeed and other times you give in.  But this time of year is a very difficult time for most of us. 

We are caught up in life, watching the world going on around us trying to be part of it, participating but not really living.  We have smiles on our faces and show up.  We nod, we laugh, we tell you life is good but inside the demon dog is chasing us threatening to take us down. 

Life goes on at such a busy pace around us.  People rarely stop to notice our to quick smile, our silly answers, our darkened houses and our silent voices.  We spend hours alone, caught up in memories of lives past, in prayer with our Father seeking comfort and guidance.

Sometimes we fail to respond in ways you think we should, we hurt those we don't mean to hurt and embrace those we shouldn't.  We are off balance, our worlds out of sync.  It doesn't mean that our faith is less, that our GOD is not there or that we are weak.  It just means that we are human.  We hurt, we are in pain and we will never be the same.

We will weather this Christmas season different than the last.  Each year changes who we are, you never know how it will effect you or why.  We don't need platitudes, or sympathies, we just need acceptance and love.  We don't need reassurance and phoney smiles, we just need hugs.  GOD provides the rest.

We may not put up Christmas trees, we may not buy presents, we may not sing as loud, but we will celebrate the birth of CHRIST, for without Christ we would have no HOPE and HOPE is what sustains us through this part of our lives.

We suffer this affliction everyday, sometimes it is just more apparent than others.  This Christmas Season, remember to say an extra prayer for those who have are celebrating the Birth of Christ in a new normal, less than normal or less than perfect way.

But survive you will because "Many people who have already died will live again.  Some of them will wake up to have life forever, but some will wake up to find shame and disgrace forever."  Daniel 12:2