What do we think of as a perfect life?

Where there are no troubles, nothing that makes the sun go dark and the blue skys grey. Where our family is perfect, happy, in a home, in a yard, childeren laughing with a dog barking and the parents swinging on a swing holding hands and smileing, just because the other one is there. Where parents both went to college, with good educations, good jobs. The childeren get along, and they have happy friendships with people who are just as good as they are, where everyone had the same blessed life and struggle wasn't even a thought in the mind, where everyone could be care free, with no doubts, no fears, no heartach.

I know my words are just a fantasy, and if you don't, than look around and see, and feel, and listen. Understand that this "perfect life" there isn't anything like it, because for the most part, it isn't real. You look at what cant really be seen, look at reality. A lot of those around us don't have homes, they have something else because it's the best they can do. Childeren don't always laugh, because now, in this generation, most of the innocence of our childhoods, what we knew, is just a memory and nothing more. A lot of these families are broken, because of one thing or another, what was "true love" has been forgotten, either because of money, death, drugs, alcohol, addictions to other things, or just because the way of the world is just to look out for yourself.

But where does that get you?

Do you really feel better knowing that there is someone else that you are "better"than or "smarter"than or "better looking" than" how can one find joy knowing that there are others just like you going through hell because of decisions they have made, or even ones they didn't. When people see someone who has a problem, and they don't seem to have any purpose in life. have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, that was not how they wanted to live? Do you really think that people wake up each day saying, "wow i am going to be addicted to alcohol" or "i'm going to feel depressed today" or "I want to live on the street and be looked down upon by the rest of the world"

But instead, why can't we see that people who have problems, people who seem lower than us, are those who need us more? Why can't we take time out of our day to say "God, give me the grace to help their needs." or "Lord, how can I be there to surve this person?" It is because life isn't perfect, and the fact that we stick with what is comfortable. But why? Is it because we are afraid to stand up and say to the world "I dont want to be like you! I want to know that what I am doing has meaning and that people i meet will know that even though they are not perfect, that they could have problems they brought upon themselves, or those they never asked for, That I can still Love those who are not perfect" Why can't we see that people around us have flaws, but try to look past them and see benieth what is most judged. If we look past the scars, past the addictions, past the sin, past all the things that we think make others "worse" than us....what would you think of them? You want to know the best part about all of this? You are just like them. Eveyone that you know, everyone who takes time out of their day to talk to you about your day...they have looked beyond the surface, they have looked past the scars, the sin, the anger, the hurt, the hopeless ness, the depression, the fear, they have looked past all those things and they see you. even those who you never met, who can come up and give you a smile, a hug, and say "something told me that you really need a hug today" have looked beyond all of that, they might have never known it was there to begin with. But by the grace of God you just feel your heart lighten and the burdens lift, even if just for a moment, you feel that you are not what people see and that there is more to you than you believe.

And if others see things that you can't, it is probably because you are only looking at the shatered mirror that is incompleat, broken, purposeless. Sometimes this seems to be because we never were told that we were important and because of our cercumstances that we are nothing but a parasite on this earth. But what if we did more than what was normal? What if we all started looking beyond ourselfs, beyond the surface? Jesus said "that is was not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick" so why do we only look and aknowledge those who seem to be just like us, the "better people" when in all honesty, we are no better than those with serious problems, because we are just like them, but we don't want to believe that. But there is One who looks past all of that, who fills in the gaps and can always say i love you, even though we know all of the pain, hurt, regrets, and everything that makes our blue skys grey, make us broken, There is One who doesn't see that, He sees something whole and beautiful. Then we are blessed with those around us, and we should never regret those people in our lives who live with us every day, who know that we are messed up, but stand by us anyway. They have no expectaions, no standards. The people who tell you when you do something wrong, that is isn't good and try to help, and even if you reject everything they say...they come back and are the ones who lift you up. The Friends that stand beside you, hold you up, and love you, just because of who you are (for they don't need any other reason to do so) are the people who look beyond the surface. And there are many who say that they have no friends and are left to die alone with the whole world looking down on them...God has always been waiting, the friend that they(you) might have never asked to be their(your) friend (but always has been faithful) is still beside them(you) waiting for them(you) to ask him to pick them(you) up. So why, am i writing all of this? Because i think of all the things that people i know go through, and it kills me to know that their lives could be even a little better if they just believed that they were not alone. And it kills me to think that every day there could have been something that someone could have done to help this person, even if it was just a kind word or one act of selflessness. I think of things that i myself have gone through and i know what it is like to be the one who feels low, and hated, and worthless, and depressed, and discouraged, even if these things are not true times come where even i believe the worst of me. And i know that yes, things could be worse. But that didn't matter to me, not anymore for i know these are all lies. my own self loathing was enough to make life want to stop, to make me want to go back to the inocence of my childhood. And i know that the things that kept me going, Was the One who stood beside me, and the ones He blessed me with to help me fight the lies that beat me down. I know that some might say that what i am saying is just me spilling my guts, but I don't really care. I believe that what i am saying has meaning and that I want others to understand that there are others that hurt like them and they are not alone, and if everyone took just a second to get past the norms of the world and did what was unatural, than that perfect life might not be to far away. It might not be the perfect that we would like, but there would be more Joy in the hearts of others. What i am saying now, is not really my words, because i can't think of anyway to try to say this to anyone, but by God alone i believe that if this piece of writing can make even one person try to look beyond the surface and step out of the norms for the very first time, than what i have writen has purpose and was not a waste. This come strait from the heart, and my prayer is that maybe what i have said can make a difference. And if you are reading this, than that means you took the time to read what i am saying, and for whatever the reason, i thank you. I pray that God streanthen you and that this can be the first step taken to help those around us. My love goes to all those i know, and i hope you understand, that even if i dont know you well, that I want to be one of those who look beyond the surface. And now i ask, Who will join me? Who will take that step to help those around us so that we can bring Joy to our world and Joy to our God because we are loving all of those who he has made in his likeness? This is a call to Everyone, may God Bless you and give you the strength to stand.