Chip

Chip is always full of life wisdom.  My hubby likes to look after him when we help out with dinners.  Because he moves slower than everyone else, he gets in line as soon as he get's to the dinner destination when it's time to eat.  Hubby likes talking with him and listening to him, and tonight I decided to give him my full attention for a little while and I was not disappointed, I actually thought of hitting the voice recorder on my phone to catch every word he was saying.

Some of the things he said really resonated with me:

"Not making a decision is the only bad decision to make.  Chose one way or the other, to do or not to, to stay or to go, either choice is right, but to not decide, that is the only wrong choice to make."

"Some people look for happiness all their lives, but they never find it because they are looking on the outside. Oh, this will make me happy, or this will make me happy, but nothing on the outside can ever make you happy because happiness comes from the inside.  You can be standing in the middle of a trash heap and be the happiest person alive, it's all in how you see things."

"I've had 4 TIA's, so when I look at things, I see them for the first time and for the last time.  I don't take anything for granted".

So much wisdom in such a rough package.

And I remember the pity party I had today.  I was so upset over the hassle and complications of getting everything together to file our taxes, I remind myself that we are so blessed by everything we have. A house, jobs, vehicles, food, money to pay our bills, comfort,... "...it's all in how you see things"

And the less that grateful mood someone has been in because there has been no answer from that job he interviewed for, that he would be very good at.  Well, at least he is "choosing to keep doing something about it, even if the answer doesn't come as we want."

And as I read about the poverty in other places, and see a glimpse of the hardship of homelessness right near my own comfortable home when I reluctantly and awkwardly help every few weeks, I hear Chip's voice; 'You can be standing in the middle of a trash heap and be the happiest person alive, it's all in how you see things."

Chip could be me, or I could be Chip.

“[Anything you have...] It is due to the century and place in which you were born, to your talents and capacities and health, none of which you earned."  Tim Keller

In short, all your resources are in the end — the gift of God.

http://www.incourage.me/2013/02/the-1-thing-you-really-have-to-know-about-your-family.html