The Best of Times and The Worst of Times — A LifeWords Devotion

By David ReayTuesday 8 Nov 2022LifeWords DevotionalsDevotionsReading Time: 2 minutes

When people ask you how you are, what do you say? It depends on the person asking and your sense as to how serious the question is. You don’t need to hold up the checkout queue in a supermarket by telling the operator your life details when he or she puts the question to you. Then again, a good friend will deserve a more honest response.

In truth, there is no easy answer to the question. If we say “fine, thanks”, we ignore all the niggling or serious issues that inhabit our daily lives. Then again, if we spout out a long list of our major and minor tribulations, we can sound like habitual, ungrateful whingers.

As our text reminds us, life is a crazy mixture of tears and laughter, despondency and delight. What we share with others does depend on the circumstances. But when it comes to our own self-assessment, it is right to be honest about our tears and despondency. It is also right to be honest about the good things for which we are thankful.

If we find ourselves ignoring one aspect or another, we are not being true to ourselves. We end up either being mournful complainers or delusional cheerleaders. Our inherent personalities play a part in this. We may focus on what is right or focus on what is wrong with life according to our mindset.

Best to accept that the answer to that question we might ask ourselves, “How are you?”, is that we weep, and we laugh, we grieve, and we dance. We experience the best of times and the worst of times.

David

When people ask you how you are, what do you say? It depends on the person asking and your sense as to how serious the question is. You don’t need to hold up the checkout queue in a supermarket by telling the operator your life details when he or she puts the question to you. Then again, a good friend will deserve a more honest response.

In truth, there is no easy answer to the question. If we say “fine, thanks”, we ignore all the niggling or serious issues that inhabit our daily lives. Then again, if we spout out a long list of our major and minor tribulations, we can sound like habitual, ungrateful whingers.

As our text reminds us, life is a crazy mixture of tears and laughter, despondency and delight. What we share with others does depend on the circumstances. But when it comes to our own self-assessment, it is right to be honest about our tears and despondency. It is also right to be honest about the good things for which we are thankful.

If we find ourselves ignoring one aspect or another, we are not being true to ourselves. We end up either being mournful complainers or delusional cheerleaders. Our inherent personalities play a part in this. We may focus on what is right or focus on what is wrong with life according to our mindset.

Best to accept that the answer to that question we might ask ourselves, “How are you?”, is that we weep, and we laugh, we grieve, and we dance. We experience the best of times and the worst of times.

David