why your stupid cliche does not help my feelings...no offense.

have you ever had someone try to make you feel better by saying...

God must have something better for you!

or

hurtful people are hurting people.

funny how somehow, at that moment, the only thing i think would actually make me feel any better?  would be if i clocked the person saying it!!!
ha! come on now...you know you've been there! admit it!

i try really hard to stay away from quoting cliches that may be true for one person and not for another.
or things that may be true universally, but does nothing to make me feel better!

i mean, let's face it.
after you have been hurt by a person saying hurtful things about you.
does it really make you feel any less hurt to know that they are hurting?
not really.

so i was thinking about the way that i can be encouraged, and then the things that can get me down.
i have been talking to a lot of people who are going through a lot of different pains, struggles and just all out discouragement.
it's real, people.
we all have times of doubt. of hopelessness. of fear. and of discouragement.

i was reading in 1 Samuel 6:30 and saw that david encouraged himself in the Lord.
this might not seem like all that big of a deal to you, but it was exactly what i needed to hear.
the times when i am the most discouraged and the most frustrated.
what i feel like i need is:
some girlfriends to build me up.
my kids to give me a hug
my husband to tell me i'm beautiful.

but. here we read that david encouraged himself...in the Lord.

does that mean that i don't even need anyone else to get out of whatever funk i may be in?
does that really mean that i can be encouraged just from my own efforts?
it seems hard to imagine, but as i studied out the hebrew for strengthened himself i started to understand a little better.
it implies persistent and continuous effort.
i love the idea of persistent and continuous effort...sometimes.
i love training.
training for a race.
running through pain and finishing a race totally exhilarates me.

but the idea of living through hurt in life and finishing with a smile totally drains me.
why???

i don't really know, but i know that it doesn't really affect the enemy that much to watch me get in shape physically.
it drives the enemy totally insane to see me get in shape spiritually.

so i am trying a little experiment.
the times when i am feeling down. when i am feeling hopeless and frustrated...
i am going to tell myself. to make myself. remember the Bible verses that offer joy and hope.
i am going to persistently and continuously push myself to overcome, to fight through the pain, to live with my mind focused on the finish line.

i am going to ignore your stupid cliches (haha) and i am going to encourage myself.
because i can.
because it's what God wants me to do...
to become totally and completely dependent on HIM. and Him alone.

and when i start doing that -
thinking right.
the outcome will be that i will start feeling right.
and that is something i want to push for!