Keep Pushing

I tried numerous times to begin this piece, but it wasn’t until the 6th attempt that I realized my problem. I was, once again, attempting to write around the real issue or topic trying to present itself. Once I delved into this particular topic, I began battling with myself because I wasn’t sure how, what I wrote, would be accepted; but what I realized was this: there are times when you must bare your soul or share an intimate piece of yourself in order to get the real point across. Thus, this writing……

For those who don’t know, I was born with a somewhat weak immune system. By weak I mean, my body is liable to catch viruses, germs, and the likes, very easily. I don’t have as many white blood cells as others. Now, had I not told, it probably would never have been known. *Now you can’t say you don’t know something about me (haha)* Now, because of this “weaker” immune system, when I caught a cold or the flu, my body would hold on to it much longer and thus it’d wreak havoc on my entire body. I still managed to attend school, work, and attend my church services quite regularly. It wasn’t until I entered Junior High School that the issue really became a problem. It was in the 7th grade that I really learned how cruel children can be. Sure I’d dealt with the laughs, jokes, and mean comments the years prior, about my weight, body shape, smile, style of dress, etc., but when I became sick, it seemed EVERYONE had a negative comment to give me. My classmates and even so-called friends treated me as if I was a disease that could be caught by simply talking to me or sitting next to me. Still, I attended Junior High full time and graduated with my class and crossed the stage with High Honors. I kept going.

Entering High School was another challenge in itself. No one outside of my family knew the battle I was fighting so when situations would occur, I would go back to being the little Red-Head Step Child. These same people I’d gone through elementary school with treated me even worse, but funny, whenever they needed help with homework, or wanted to copy, or help period, they’d come to me. Be that as it may, my Freshman and Sophomore years were pretty much okay. It seemed the illness I’d been battling the past 4 years had tapered off or gone away. It wasn’t until my Junior Year that it reared its ugly head again, this time knocking me pretty low. I ended up going Home Bound in order to complete my schooling. I was given tutors who either didn’t do their job or better yet, didn’t know the material they were supposed to be teaching me. So, I taught myself Algebra II, the program Excel, all of my English material and novels, and still attended my band class in the morning. I did all of this will maintaining a job, church, and regular life. I kept going.

I finally reached the point where I didn’t want to go to the doctor anymore. By January 2005, I’d been prescribed 1 tri-cyclic antidepressant, 1 anti-depressant with a sleeping aid (mind you, I was NOT depressed by any means), a pill for nausea, birth control for my cyst, a drug for migraines, and an antibiotic for what they thought was the stomach flu, and they still had yet to diagnose or treat the sickness that had now entered my blood stream. Everything hurt. It hurt to hug me, hold me, lie down, sit up, move, everything. But I still kept going because I REFUSED to allow this sickness to be the end of me. I refused to allow the devil victory. His plan was to eliminate me, but every time he tried, I always came out on top, thus he had to try something stronger each time. My Senior year was just as much a challenge as my Junior year. I’d finally gotten some reprieve from the pain so I returned to school. In March 2006, I lost the greatest man to ever grace my life with his presence; my Grandfather. I was out of school for 2 weeks. When I returned to school, I was once again publicly embarrassed and humiliated by my peers, school administrators and teachers; and these were people who had NO CLUE what I was going through. One particular incident occurred when I returned to school after my Grandfather’s funeral--I entered my 2nd hour class (I’ll keep the name private for those who know what my class was and who my teacher was) to be greeted as such, “Oooh Cortiss!! So is it true? I’d heard you were pregnant, when are you due? I mean it was either that or you dropped out since you’ve been gone so much. Anyway, we’re glad to have you back!”—this was said to me, out loud, in front of my class, by my teacher. Yes, my teacher. I had another teacher to say to me, “Oooh, sucks to be you”. Still, I kept going. I graduated in the top 13% of my class and began the next chapter of my life. That was 2004-2006, it is now December 2009. I made it.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering why I chose to share all of that. Here’s why—life will always have some up’s and downs. Life will not always be “fair”, you will not always be on top, rich with money and possessions, and the likes, but if continue pushing through the muck, the hard times, the challenges, and low points, you will come out on top. Every situation you overcome you add to your repertoire, thus building your strength. I’ve had the heartbreaks, the lonely times, the questions, confusion, and more…..and STILL encounter moments. I’m human, it’s supposed to happen (we don’t know everything), but it is how you choose to handle these situations that determines your outcome. Keep pushing. You WILL overcome and succeed. BUT! You have to want it bad enough for it to happen. God will put you in a situation just to get your attention. He did not make us to be 100% self-sufficient. He made us so that we would have to depend on him. So when those tough times come, put your trust in Him and let him be the answer. I speak from experience. You’ll be surprised the strength He’ll give you to keep going.

Stay encouraged!

Bringing in 2010 the Right Way

Hello to all. Its been a while since this site has consistently been updated but we ant you to now that by the end of 2010 many of you will be constant readers of Words For Thought. We hope that u enjoy what the site will bring in the upcoming year.

The Leaf (Part 1 of 3)

Many have heard, been told, or know the story of friends. No, not the TV show, but actual friends. You know, some are leaves, some are branches, and some are roots. Out of those three types of friends, only one will stick around forever. Even after the tree is long gone and cut down, only one will still remain. Which is that you ask? That is the root.

Now, regardless of how hard this topic is to discuss or accept, it is just mere truth. Everyone that enters your life is not meant to stay forever. Everyone that calls you ‘friend’ will not be that BFF or that “ace koom boom”, or even running buddy. What I think may of us fail at is deciphering the difference between the leaf, the branch, and the root. So let us break them down, shall we?

The Leaf
On any tree (especially in the northern and Midwest states) there is going to come a time when leaves will change color, loosen themselves, and either fall off or be blown away by the wind. When this time, better known as season, comes, the leaf will depart. In the warmer states, the changing of leaves is not always seen, but trust, those same leaves you see on that tree have not been there every year. In my time spent in the south, I noticed how the leaves would become loose and then detach themselves. Once the spring and summer seasons came back around, new leaves could be seen growing on the branches. But I made mention of the color change for a reason. Every leaf that grows on your limbs and branches may not go through the noticeable color change; which signals when it is preparing to depart, but you still must let them know. Every leaf will not leave at the same time or for the same reason. Yet and still, they must depart. Their time is fulfilled and in the coming season, they will be replaced by a new growing bud.

We as humans fight so hard to hold on to people and things that have either fulfilled their time or are no good for us. Have you ever seen a tree branch fighting to hold on to a leaf? Would look kind of silly wouldn’t it? When the wind blows and that leaf detaches itself from its stem or branch, the tree allows it to happen because it is a part of natural order. We mess up this order or cycle by fighting to keep what is attempting to detach itself.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 reads, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”. Further down in verse six it reads, “A time to get (gain), and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away”.

Heavy words right there, but they are said for a reason. Every season that comes has a purpose. IN the spring, new things grow, sprout, and new life begins. The rain gives nutrients and those leaves attached to you, grow. As summer rolls in, the leaves continue to grow and flourish; sharing in the nutrients that are given from the roots through the branches and limbs.
Then the chill of autumn comes and the change begins. This is where verse six comes into play. The time to cast away has arrived. In the warm seasons, your time to gain and keep was in play, now in the colder season, it is time to relinquish and let go. As the fall season comes in full fledged, more and more of those leaves change color; more of those leaves begin weakening their connection, preparing for detachment. As they fall away, the tree itself is being prepared for the next season. What season is next, you ask? It is winter.

Winter is often viewed as sad, lonely, cold, morose, and well dead, but oh how it is far from that. Though no new, bright, and blooming life is seen on the tree, there is much going on within the trunk and underground with the roots. During the winter season, the roots are preparing for another year of life. Nutrients are flowing through the trunk and remaining branches, to not only keep it alive during this cold season, but to strengthen it for the upcoming spring. When the spring comes, the tree will be strong enough to withhold all of that which comes with it. Now, how does all of this relate to us? Well for starters, we are the tree. We are the ones who hold the branches, limbs, and leaves. As every season comes we obtain new life so long as we are alive, well, and strong to handle such. If in the previous seasons or years we held onto some leaves or branches we should have let go of, we set ourselves back and ultimately run the risk of becoming infected. Should become sick and are not strong enough to repair ourselves, we will not only NOT make it through the cold and wintery season, but ultimately, we die. This is why it is crucial as well as important to allow leaves to leave when they should. In our lives, these leaves are known as our associates, peers, passers-by, and maybe even our co-workers. Everyone you meet and converse with is NOT your friend. Everyone is not a root. It only takes a few roots for a plant to grow and stay strong and everyone does not hold the qualifications for this role. Do not be upset about it, because just think: just as someone is a leaf in your life, you are just a leaf in someone else’s. When their time and task is fulfilled, let them go; much better to do it now than to suffer from not doing so, later.

~”To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.”~

Has the season for that leaf ended?
Next up—Branches! Tricky, tricky! They are stronger than leaves, but not as strong as a root. Can you decipher between the two? Even more so, do you have the strength it takes to cut them off when it is time to prune?