Lens of Love

     "I've got some bad news girls, so I'm just going to say it and get it over with"... is not the best preparation for "My cancer has come back." Then again is there really any "good" way to deliver such gut-wrenching news? Well, maybe. But even with a pretty bow wrapped around the outside the surprise within wouldn't be any sweeter to deal with.

     News like this makes you want to scream, shout, get angry, cry, question, plead. And sometimes you have to- and that's OK. You break. And I mean break... like the pieces are shattered. And you now have a very large pile of dirt to sit in. Or...

     You have the same very large pile of dirt accumulated by your tears anger and frustration but you also have a choice. No you can't always change your external circumstances, but you can change the way you perceive your situation. Dirt wasn't made for sitting in anyway. It is the basis for which new life can grow. 

     The same idea can be applied to a broken spirit. Whether it's a cancer diagnosis (4th time around in this case) a break-up, a betrayal, or a job loss, you always have an opportunity to bring a dark situation into the light. That is what I have learned about miracles. They aren't always the cookie cutter idea of a change of circumstances, but rather a shift of perception.  It's taking a seemingly hopeless situation and saying 'what good can I learn from this situation and how can I love better and help others because of it.'  Where an empty wallet once was the end of the world, now it's a chance to experience the joys in life that come at no cost. Where once a cancer diagnosis was the end of life as you knew it, now it's a wake-up call to truly start living!

     Yes times can be tough, but as long as were here we might as well make the most of what we have. Love is all around us. Sometimes it's hard to see when were so bent on our own bad news. But that doesn't stop it from trying to reach us. What's true, what's beautiful, and what's lovely doesn't stop being any of those things just because we can't see them. Sometimes all we need is a miracle; a new perception. 

     
     Trade your lens of fear for a lens of love and you'll see that it will always give reason to keep your eyes wide open.