Waste

Without the optimism of faith, all the blessings of this world are wasted and instead of looking forward with hope to the future, we are stuck considering only the dirt beneath our feet.

Assumption of Mary (Titan)

Someone very dear to me was struggling with feelings of sadness and possibly even depression for some time.

It was very very hard for them during this time, but it was even harder for me – as a person who loved them dearly – to witness their suffering and experience the implications of these emotions in their life.  After all, when people are feeling happy and positive, they generally make decisions that are happy and positive.  They generally react to things in ways that are happy and positive.  However, when people are sad and depressed, everything tends to be gloomy.  All their interpretations of events seem to be sad and negative and bad.

Now, I am not saying this from a perspective of judgement.  After all, I myself was terribly negative while I grieved for my little baby who died before he was even born.  And I was negative in my thinking for years.  And so, when I comment on these things I comment from the perspective of someone who experienced this in their own life and therefore who is aware of the far-reaching implications of this negativity in their life.

And so it was that as I witnessed (and experienced first-hand the ramifications of this dear one’s emotions) I was reminded of Grace.  For it is only with Grace that we can have faith.

And faith is the opposite of sadness and depression.  While sadness and depression assume the worst and focus on negativity, it is faith that allows people to see beyond the terrible and to understand that there is something wonderful waiting for them.

I mean, think about it…  If we suffer and experience hard times, it is our faith that reminds us that we have something to look forward to.  If we are enduring illness or hardship or a relationship breakdown, it is our faith that allows us to understand that there is “light at the end of the tunnel” so to speak.

And I have been thinking about faith.  Faith is that ability to see beyond the experience at hand and beyond the problems staring us in the face to understand that there is more coming and that there is hope in understanding that there is more to life – especially the afterlife.

And I have been thinking about what a drain it is when people – me included – cannot see the positive parts of their own life.  I have been thinking about how difficult life becomes for ourselves when there is nothing left to look forward to.  Because without the advantage of faith there is really nothing to look forward to.  And without the optimism of faith, all the blessings of this world are wasted and instead of looking forward with hope to the future, we are stuck considering only the dirt beneath our feet.

And I have been thinking about this today as I have been thinking about my dear one.  For it seems a terrible waste to live sadly and without faith…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.