I Am Not Alone

Found this in a wonderful book called "You Are Not Alone" and thought it fit.

"Give me the good sense to be afraid when there is something to fear, so that I can make ready, as well as I can, for whatever threatens. And give me the courage to stand up with grace against troubles I cannot keep from coming my way. And make me willing to learn from what hurts me instead of feeling sorry for myself."
Rabbi Chaim Stern

To be able to feel afraid, to know when there is danger, is a valued instict-a gift. And yet, being afraid all the time, worrying what might happen next, is exhausting. Being able to discern when you need to be alert-ready to flee or take a stand-and when you can let go of fear is important. And so some prey.

Prayer is one thing for which I'm grateful. God has promised that he has a plan for me and he will provide all that I require if I have faith and believe. I am made in his image, and while that doesn't grant me perfection it does mean that I am perfect in his eyes. When I spiral downward, when I bounce from rock bottom and than when I hit again, when I rise and while I heal I am perfect. Even the broken are perfect, in fact, we are all broken and it is our pieces put together that make us whole.

"There is no one among us whose body or soul is not permeated by cracks, some wide, some narrow, some deep, others shallow. At times, so many of us feel fragile, fractured, wanting only to gather up the shattered pieces. If only we could put them back together, to be smooth, unblemished once more. But, our journey is not back into the past, but forward, into a future where we transform our pieces into a whole that is both strong and weathered."
A Journey Toward Freedom

I 'm grateful for my faith, because it gives me the courage to believe that when our hearts are broken, when we are most vulnerable, we become spiritually open, and in these moments everything becomes clear. We can be more sensitive and mindful of the blessings in our lives and more empathetic to the suffering of others. We can see what matters most and what doesn't matter at all and we can take advantage of the choice to hang on or let go.