Getting knocked down in life is a given. Standing up again is a choice. No matter what your circumstances are at the moment! And no matter whether you are where you are because of your own doing, or because of what other people have done to you. You always have a choice – you can either make excuses and give up, or make an effort to get up.
I have a good friend who, 2 months ago, could only see the dark place that he was in. The darkness can become so bad that we forget how beautiful things are from the mountain tops. Today, he struggles to believe that he could ever have been at such a low point.
Valleys are dark and alone. But you need to decide whether you want to meander along in the depths of darkness, or whether you are willing to attempt to scale the cliffs. It might seem like the last thing that you have strength for, but the strength is there – inside of you. If we had to always do what we felt like doing, we would’t get much done. It’s less about what you feel like doing, and more about what you need to be doing.
One small step away from the darkness means one further step into the light. Every step becomes the motivation to take the next. It might be a long journey full of cuts and bruises, but the view from the top and the feeling of achievement dulls the pain that preceded. When I find myself in the valleys that hide the beauty of life, I find my strength in God. He is my uplifter and encourager. He is the Light that takes away my darkness and reminds me that life is beautiful, even when I fail to recognise it.
Mark Davidson
