Deep Thoughts with Gail

Today's strange topic that I'd like to touch on is issues.  (My horoscope deigned to suggest that I have some deep issues inside me-pulease!  I scoff.)  All people have issues!  As I see it, people fall into two categories.  The first-those that are breathing.  The folks that are breathing, well, you've got issues.  The second-those that are not breathing.  If you're not breathing either you've got BIG issues or you HAD issues. 

Having issues doesn't define us.  The issues themselves don't make us who we are.  It's how we handle them that determines our worth. 

For example, a millionaire might have issues with an ex-wife, alimony, child-support, stock portfolios and how well the man who cleans his car does his job. 

On the other end of the spectrum, a camel herder might have issues with a pregnant camel whose baby is breach or perhaps his son has lost the last camel leash and he can't afford to buy a new one.  Maybe he can't trade his camel because it has a bad back or a sprained ankle.  Let's face it, no one wants to get a lemon-right?

Now, if we compare the troubles of the millionaire with those of the camel herder, who has bigger issues?  If you said neither, bing, bing, bing...you're today's winner.  The problems the millionaire is facing are just important to him as the problems the camel-herder has.  It's the ability to stop and see the issues, for Christians it's important to pray for guidance about them and then the amount of grace we use to handle our issues, that's how we're defined.  The millionaire can smile as he signs his alimony and child-support checks and he can take five minutes to chat with his car cleaner and set things straight.  The camel herder can do his best to save the baby camel or he can leave it be because a camel with a bad back or a sprained ankle isn't all that likely to run off.  If the camel passes on, he can open a desert side restaurant and sell camel steaks cooked hibachi style.  Then he could use the money made from that to invest in a new camel.

As long as we face them head on and accept the challenges we face with grace, we can overcome the issues.  This is something that I have to remind myself of quite frequently.  I'll need to remember that especially today since my horoscope warned me of my deep issues.  But hey, at least I recognize that I have them.  Oh, and by the way, if you think you don't have issues-here's a newsflash-you've got bigger issues than the rest of us.

~Gail