The Strength of Your Spirit

Good morning, Tony. You are so right-what we survive does make us stronger and the events we live through help shape how we address the future. Thank you for the poem and the thoughts behind it!

A sermon on the vine! - Tony, there's truly wisdom in your words, and even greater still - Hope in a gentle reminder:

God said he'd never put more on our shoulders than we can deal with....

I sometimes wonder if our strength of character comes from the things we have been forced to deal with. What doesn't break us just makes us stronger kinda thing. In dealing with the day to day I see future leaders and I see suffering that no-one should have to go through.

Very powerful poem, Tony. I don't know about character, but I will tell you, I used to be a very happy person until last year. I have been knocked down and kicked around so much, I am having troubles standing any more. Its like I am succumbing to whatever. I think I have cried more the past 2 years than the past 60. I had a dream and lost that this year. Now I feel I have lost all and any hope. I try to stay positive but I just struggle with even that. Sorry for venting on your website, your poem just finally brought it all out. If you want to collapse this entry, I will understand and not be offended.

Beautifully written, Tony, and a needed reminder, though some days, I find it difficult to even find my spirit, under the weight of change.

Very well said Tony I am reminded of one of my favorite passages in the Bible.

"Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ., through whom also we have access by faith in this grace in which we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perserverence; and perseverance, character and character hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for he ungodly."

It is through our tribulations that we can find strength and hope and that leads to character. I once told my wife when we were dating and she was going through some tough times and all seemd lost that they can take your money, your house, and every material thing you have but the one thing they cannot take from you is your hope. Thank you for sharing your wonderful poem with us all.

Blessings
H

I am thinking about the poor souls in Somalia - every day their suffering is on TV. I don't know where they find their hope, Tony - the odds are so stacked against them. I cannot see how so many lives can be saved from the wretchedness of their situation. Hiram on his posting says you can lose everything you have, worst case scenario, but still retain hope.... It must take a lot of courage then to suffer, and see your children suffer in this way. You say in your article, Tony, "that God would never put on our shoulders more than we could deal with". I don't understand then what God wants from these simple, uneducated people who do not have even the barest necessities to live. What do you think the message is here? Anyone?...

If we take the time to look around us, we can always find someone worse off than we are, I always try to remember an old Eddy Arnold song from many years ago.

"I got a sway back mule, a plow and a tater patch, and eggs that are gonna hatch someday, a roof over my head and most of my bills are paid, I'm the richest man in the world"

That "spirit" cannot be killed; we have to let it die, it's like you said, "Just think of that spirit that helped you survive."

Good advice, and so true, thanks for allowing us to read and remember that "Spirit of survival.

Tony, beautiful words for a Blessed Day. Thanks for sharing.