Some food for thought

A few days ago at a pre wedding function I met a young couple that have a beautiful child who was born with a rare birth defect, microcephaly whereby the brain does not develop properly resulting in a smaller than normal head.Often people with the disorder have an intellectual disability, poor motor function, poor speech, abnormal facial features, seizures, and are short.This cute little child was 13 years old. She sat in her pram staring at the strange faces around her. She was totally helpless yet she was so content. My heart went out to her parents. They have so much of patience with her despite everyday being a constant struggle. Only they know the trials they are facing on a day to day basis. In the same gathering I met a young man who was wheelchair bound. His story broke my heart too. He was a bright student enrolled in a university. However, when his dad passed away he was forced to leave university and start working in order to provide for his family. One day whilst at work, he was shot on his spine during an armed robbery causing him to become paralyzed from his waist down. Can you imagine the trials his family and wife must have faced during this period. They were devastated. With God's grace though he has learnt to adapt to his new way of life. He is working and drives and hence he has become an inspiration to many others out there.... Last week whilst meeting with a community member who deals with the blind school in the area, I was heart sore after hearing 2 stories that were relayed to me. The first is of a young 24 year old woman who became a pharmacist. She loved her profession with a passion. After having a heart attack and 2 strokes recently resulting in a blood clot lodging itself near the optic nerve, she has lost total vision in both her eyes. She can not come to terms with her destiny. Whilst she has taken the bold step to enrol herself at the blind school she finds herself sobbing in one corner of the classroom. She finds a bit of comfort from a fellow student learning braille. He was also a professional person who was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. During an armed robbery at a store, he was shot in the head causing him to become blind. He has however embraced his fate and chooses to live life one day at a time. I have come to the conclusion that each and everyone of us is going through some sort of trial or test in life. Some people may be having financial problems, others may be having marital problems..whilst others may be experiencing health issues or problems with their kids. If we sit back and analyse our own problems you will quickly realise that sometimes our own problems are miniscule in comparison to what other people out there are going through. God never ever burdens us with more than we can handle. Sometimes we face difficulties simply because God wants us to turn to Him for assistance and guidance. He wants us to be closer to Him. So before you start whining, feeling as though your whole world has come to an end, think about those people who are in far worse off situations than you. In every situation thank the Lord. Be happy and content in life. Always remember that even in a bad situation there is always some good that comes out of it......