Triumph in Adversity

Just pray for a tough hide and a tender heart. - Ruth Graham

That quote says it all. Be able to take it like a [wo]man, but still have compassion. Now that's triumph in adversity. If you can take all that life throws at you and not get a calloused heart, you are doing something right. I sometimes wonder how many times you can get hit with the same thing.. over, and over, and over again.. and still come out with a fresh perspective the next time a similar situation comes along. Is it possible? 

 Everyone carries a little baggage, right? I mean, I've always been a small purse carrying sort of woman, but I sometimes wonder if I have a full size, I-could-carry-my-whole-bathroom-vanity-in-here sort of purse weighing me down... resting invisibly on my shoulders. Just ready to dump its contents out at the worst possible time. 

And it's not usually the kleenex that falls out first. Yup, probably a tampon.

I pray constantly for God to reveal to me how I can be a better person, a better Christian, a better friend, a better sister, a better aunt and one day, a great wife and mother. I am very cognizant of areas I need to work on and I am not ashamed of that fact - we all have them, but we can't, and won't do something about them until we understand we are not perfect. One of those areas for me is allowing the slate to be wiped clean and to enter a similar situation that previously had a bad outcome, with a fresh perspective and hope.

So here's to allowing my hide to be toughened by adverse situations, but my heart to remain open for a better outcome the next time around. And if a tampon happens to fall out, well.... let's just hope whoever sees it is mature enough to understand why it's there in the first place!