Peaks and Valleys - Call for Love Devotion July 20

We all know what it's like when our life is laid out before us like a never-ending road of sameness.  We look around and can predict exactly what will happen each day; the same job, the same people, the same routine.  I am pretty sure most of us are not truly satisfied with this kind of life, although it may be comfortable.  The peaks and valleys in life are what give it the texture, the joy, and the growth.

It is in the valleys of life, that we become better people, develop compassion, perseverance, and faith.  The peaks are often fleeting moments of joy, that we try so hard to recreate, thinking we want to live our lives in that place.  We can never stay at the top, nor will we stay at the bottom.  It is how we deal with our peaks and valleys that is the important part of living.  That is what makes us who we are.

Have you ever seen a person who behaves the same way when they are at their peak, as they do when they are in the deepest valley of their life.  Jesus and Michael come to mind.  They are both EXTREME EXAMPLES of how we can strive to handle our peaks and valleys with grace.
Their message was "If I can accept the totally unfair, cruel crucifixion that has been thrust upon me, with dignity and unfailing faith and love for all humanity, then you can also handle whatever problems and situations come up in your life."  They both have shown us that what happens to us is not who we are.  They demonstrated that we become who we are by how we handle what happens to us.

In my life, I have had my share of ups and downs.  Now, at the age of 53 I look back on my life, and give thanks for all the experiences I have had.  I see the challenges I have overcome, as events that have softened my viewpoints about life and people.  I am glad I have experience to draw on when making decisions now, or when watching my children handling their lives.  From my present viewpoint, I am confident that everything is happening for the best, even when it doesn't appear to be that way at the moment.  My life has proven this to be true, so now I try to remember it beforehand, so that I don't struggle as much against the things I see as my valleys.   I am more gentle, less judgemental and very much happier than I was when I was trying to control my world.  My goal is to look at each event in my life as part of the great adventure it is to be alive.

Since Michael came into my life, I have had a much easier time handling my peaks and valleys with grace.  It reminds me of when I was a child, waking up in the morning and realizing, with delight, that it was my birthday.   This is how I feel every day when I remember that Michael is with me.  Whatever is going on in my regular life, whether it is a peak or a valley, I know it will pass, things will change, life will go on.  What will not change is my love for Michael, my devotion to him, my determination to be, do and say whatever he ask of me, and my faith that he will always be there.  It permeates every minute, every action, every thought in a warm and safe, as well as exciting and exhilarating way.   No roller coaster can ever come close to this.