Respond and Inspire. (And be thankful)

It’s too cold out.

This makes me look fat.

War. The economy. Um, winter.

These are comments that are thrown around so easily. Subjects that have become buzz words in daily conversation. Sure, we do have some real, serious ‘issues’ that garner some concern. But too often we get caught up in sweating the small stuff and let the blessings in our lives just pass us by.

I catch myself complaining way too often – usually about things that I should see as blessings.

Worried about the price of gas? If you have a car – whether an 89 beat up Cavalier or the newest Maserati – count yourself part of the blessed minority. Because if you do, then 92% of the world’s population view you as incredibly rich since they can’t even imagine having a car to drive.

And if you’re anything like me, it comes much more easily to complain about getting in that recommended 8 glasses of water a day than it does to stop and thank God for even a drip of clean water. Over 1 billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water.

If ice cream is one of the culprits to making you gain that extra pound, sending you into a spiral of complaints about not fitting into your latest pair of designer jeans, think about this (I do thank God for the blessing of ice cream ;). The cost of providing water and basic nutrition for every person in the world would be 20 billion dollars. Yep. That’s about how much Americans spend per year on ice cream.

Note: Props for these statistics goes to the NOOMA video Rich – by my pastor, Rob Bell.

Okay, these statistics should get us all thinking about the many ways in which we are blessed and the many responsibilities that are ours for helping those in need. But there’s also another side to all this talk of getting caught up in the daily grind of complaining and a ‘glass half empty’ mentality.

We all suffer. We all have stories. Some stories tragic, some just dips in the road – but regardless, they all hurt in their own way. Over the past few years, I’ve learned that how you respond to tough times has a much wider reach than what you think. People are watching. And that means you have an incredible choice to make when hardship knocks on your door.

Do you want to inspire and shed a light on love and grace? Or would you rather give up and send the message of defeat?

I have been impacted by several families who have chosen to inspire in the face of the ultimate form of suffering. It started when my neighbor Katie was diagnosed with cancer at age 10. Her family responded with courage, strength and faith and while helping carry Katie to victory over cancer, they inspired thousands of people to find blessings in hardship. Through them, I was introduced to the stories of several other children in Michigan battling cancer with dignity and unwavering faith.

One in particular serves as the inspiration for this post. An eleven-year-old girl. Her cancer has spread and the outcome is uncertain. Yet, when I visit her website, these are the words and verses I see written by her incredible parents:

Psalm 117:2 (MSG) His Love has taken over our lives; Gods faithful ways are eternal.

Psalm 23:5 My cup overflows with blessings.

We Believe she is going to beat this cancer regardless if it is here on earth or in the arms of her Heavenly daddy. We also Believe many have been lead to (or closer to) our Lord through her journey. We also Believe how you react to Suffering reflects what you Believe. We still BELIEVE.

We are not asked to design the hour - But we have been asked to respond to it.

Consider the blessings that surround you. Let them overwhelm you with gratitude. And when your story turns to suffering, choose to inspire and never forget who carries you through it all.


Ending with music :) Watch this video through to the end. You will see a young girl, hair gone because of chemotherapy, saying ‘You carried me through cancer.’ This is one of the young ladies from Michigan who courageously fought and beat cancer while choosing to inspire.