For many years in my teens and early twenties, I had a motto, a
signature statement if you will—Laugh, Smile, Be Happy!!! It decorated my notebooks
and it was my sign-off in written communications. It was the mantra for my life.
But I wasn’t happy and I forced myself to smile. In my depression, every laugh
came with a price—the better the laugh, the farther and harder I fell back into
despair. It wasn’t who I was but what was expected of me by my family, my friends,
my teachers, and coworkers. Sometimes, I faked it so well, I even managed to
fool myself for a few moments now and then. Even if it wasn’t so, the illusion
of it was the ultimate goal, the prize for doing everything right.
Twenty-five years, lots of hard work and a little therapy have taught
me how misguided and detrimental trying to live up to that ideal can be. I’ve
learned that being honest with and about my emotions, even if it is
uncomfortable at times for myself or others, actually helps me be a more joyful
and happy person than pretending to be ever did. Accepting that I can’t live up
to other people’s expectations of who I should be not only is liberating but I
often find that I far exceed expectations when I’m not limited by others’
opinions of who I am.
So I’ve been thinking that it’s time for a new motto. I’ve thought long
and hard about it. It has to be something I can aspire to and inspire in
others. Something that speaks volumes about who I am and what really matters to
me. The first word that came to mind is hope. From a hopelessness that flirted
with death, God grew a rock solid lighthouse of hope in my heart and of my
life. He is the hope to which I cling and which clings to me even tighter. Hope
is my gift and my joyous duty to share and spread with others.
The second word that came to mind is love. In my life, the enemy has
tried hard to irrevocably wound my heart in many ways, but what he meant for
evil, God has used for good. God formed in me a deep empathy for all people who
are hurting. From the fertile ground of my own woundedness he has cultivated a
holy compassion for others.
Lastly, I thought of the word pray because prayer is being in the
presence of and talking with my Savior and Lord Jesus. It not only describes my
connection with him but the power he gave me to reach out and help others. Most
people overlook the power of prayer. Even I don’t really know the power of
prayer as well as I could. Jesus tells us in John 16:22-24, Jesus tell us that
the Father will give us whatever we ask in his name. If we ask, we will receive,
and our joy will be complete. I may not be able to heal a broken heart but God
can and will. He waits for me to ask. It’s my greatest responsibility and honor
to bring a friend’s brokenness to the Lord so that he can heal their pain.
So there it is, the new signature statement for my life—Hope, Love,
Pray! It’s going to be a joy to live and grow by it.
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