Heartbreak

It's a familiar feeling for most in this world, but to varying degrees.

But recently, an internet aquaintence in the blogger world experienced the most devastating loss a woman could possibly feel -- the sudden and unexplained loss of her infant daughter. A thought that no one would even want to think about, imagine, even believe it could happen to them or someone they know. She was taken too soon and seemingly, without purpose.

This tragic incident got me thinking. How many times do we as human beings complain? We complain about traffic, the guy that cut us off on the freeway. We complain about homework and tests and the frustration of deadlines. We complain about work and co-workers. We complain about siblings, spouses, children, parents, friends and people we hardly even know. We complain about other random people and we even complain about their complaints. Why do we take these things for granted?

Why even complain when you know deep within your soul that you really have nothing to complain about? When you consider that your complaints are absolutely trivial and in the grand scheme of things, you're complaining really just to satisfy a momentary set-back in life or to justify some inner annoyance at the time. At least you are on this Earth to complain in the first place.

Consider the next time you feel the urge to complain. Is it worth it? Are your children in good health and resting peacefully while you complain? Are you and your family and friends in good health? Do you really have reason to be complaining about whatever it is you are complaining about? Is your heart broken in any way?

I've started to realize that there are bigger things in this life to be thankful for. There are events which we can and cannot control. Lives can change in an instant. People enter and exit lives for reasons. Some reasons are a part of God's plan for something bigger. And other reasons go unexplained. And just when I start to think the world is crashing down around me, I have to stop, take a time-out and realize that I know in my heart that I really have everything to be thankful for. Not everyone has that luxury.