Monday, December 23, 2013

Part of being human

Sometimes I wish I could be Superman.

I'd just swoop in and save the day. And not just for people in trouble, but for anyone. Anyone who was in need of any assistance would receive a visit from me that would result in them smiling and feeling confident that they could go through the rest of their day happily.

Many events of my day reminded me of a commonly asked question: why do bad things happen to good people? Why is it that good drivers get in a fatal accident the one time they are distracted while driving? Why does disease plague our human bodies?

These are the questions that spin through my mind as I drive home from work at 10:15pm in the single digit weather after a surprising and frankly awful shift. I was reminded today that it is possible to remain calm in the face of shocking events. I think that's a lesson that a lot of us need to see. Bad things happen. And when they do, we need to hike up our big girl pants and take care of the issue directly.

Being a freshman in college, I see a lot of doubt. Other students doubt whether or not they're in the right place or the right major. It's not difficult to assure or encourage them, but is it enough? Does that erase their doubt? Not always.....

Doubt plagues me too sometimes. I doubt that I'm doing my job well enough or if my mistakes are producing drastic effects. I doubt that I'm smart enough for what I'm studying. I doubt I make a positive difference in the world. But after these doubts root themselves in my mind I need to remind myself of who I am and what I am doing here. I am a child of Christ. I am human. I mess up. I break under pressure. I fight with people I love. But I am also forgiven. I don't belong on this planet. Heaven is my real home.

I may doubt sometimes. I may want to make everyone happy and do everything perfectly, but I can't. No one can. I'm trying my best, and that's all I can do. Making mistakes is part of being human. That's a tough thing to accept, but it's definitely necessary.