Heat…

We are now driving through the middle of Tanzania. Two days of heat and packed sandy scenery. It’s raw and beautiful. It’s amazing how many people live in such harsh conditions. Survival is the key, no luxury available, and if you’re lucky you can afford a cold coca-cola once in awhile. How many of us could actually survive this heat without fans and air conditioning? It’s amazing what we take for granted…what we are used to, and what we also demand.

It’s easy for us to say, “they have grown up this way, they don’t know any better”…and that’s true, they don’t know any better. But we do! And to me, that’s sad. This is not a speech to make us feel guilty, but to inspire a little thinking. So many of us can’t live when the heat is on us….we run screaming and complaining! “Life isn’t fair! We deserve better!” We drive to Target and spend our last dollar trying to make ourselves feel like life is good, and worth all the heat we are feeling. We “need” that 20th shirt hanging in our overstuffed closet. It calms us down, temporarily.

So, instead of facing the heat…we try to ignore it. I know that for many years I couldn’t face the heat. I would run to the nearest retail establishment and spend my last dollar. Meanwhile, I never felt any better. Slowly my health deteriorated, and my hair started falling out. I ended up with more than a few stress leaves from work. It wasn’t easy.

What do I mean when I talk about facing the heat? To me it means that I can face my fears and faults. I can have an honest conversation with myself about who I am and what I want. I can see all my flaws and sins…and work on them. I can acknowledge what I am made of, even the parts I don’t like, and spend time becoming who I am meant to be. There is a line between self awareness and self absorption…don’t want to cross that, but I want to be able to face the challenges ahead.

There comes a point where we should look at our lives and be honest. What do I really need? Is it worth the price I will pay? Can I face the heat and not be burned? This might be a subject I harp on at times. Sorry…but I can’t help myself. I see people living in such denial and darkness. No matter what, they can’t acknowledge the heat and pain. Life just goes on, years pass by…nothing changes.

This isn’t January 1st…but it’s never too late to make some resolutions. Never too late to have that honest conversation with yourself…

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