The Backside of the Bright Side

A day that dawns bright and optimistic,
can unravel as quickly and completely as one
that begins with a tangle of trouble.

Whether I see it coming, or not,
whether the undoing is of my own doing, or not,
there are days when I find myself on the backside of the bright side.

Life sends everyone for a ride on the backside.
People let you down.
You disappoint yourself or someone else.
Things hoped for, don't materialize.
Jobs disappear.
Finances escalate.
Health deteriorates.
Loved ones pass away.

Unless you live in an insulated bubble,
a ride on the backside is inevitable.

Experience on the backside has taught me
not to run to the company of misery -
those faithless, open, outstretched arms of self pity & hopelessness.
I am not pitiful. I am not without hope and I am faith-filled.
I have returned, victorious, to the bright side
after every experience on the backside.

Where I am, is never as important as, who I am, while I'm there.

I can sit in darkness and I can despair over being there.
I can moan and groan, pick up the phone
and wail about my troubles
to everyone who will listen.
I can pound people with my problems every chance I get.
I can seek out the company of those who enjoy misery's embrace
and learn nothing from the experience.

Or...

I can poke a hole in the veil that separates
the backside from the bright side and create a small stream of light
to serve as a reminder of the victory ahead.
I can pray, and I can work my way through trials
with ever increasing patience and ever growing strength of endurance.
I can pay attention to the parts of my character that show up
during difficult times and acknowledge the areas of weakness
that need building up.
I can stand straighter and taller each step of the way,
until the day I can rip the veil from top to bottom and claim my victory.

Even when life is at its darkest,
you are never on the backside of nowhere.
The bright side is always there,
waiting for you to step back into it
and experience your victory.

Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5

© Terri McPherson
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
 

Please click on the button below to email  Terri
in appreciation of her beautiful writing.

~My Heartfelt Thanks to Terri !!!~