ACODS Need Courage

I cried a lion's share of tears a few days ago. It has been a long time since the pain of my parents divorce has brought me to gut wrenching tears, but they came with fierce force.
It felt good to face the pain that still is there and to let it out and stand in the face of it.

As an adult child of divorce I have written about the sadness, the pain, the anger , the healing, and the moving ahead of being adults when our parents divorce.  My focus on the blog has been to face the issues with strength and honesty. I have tried to view my experience as an adult child of divorce within the greater context of my adult life, which is very much separate from my family of origin, in many ways and relationships.

In an attempt to deal with the many and varied issues that stare us in the face and roar loudly in our ears over and over again, I don't want to magnify our experience over other challenges that we and others face.

There are many people that need courage. We are just one of those groups of people.
I have observed single parents work overtime at home and away from their home, to put food on tables and provide security for their children , on their own. 

 I have known people in the military who have given precious time away from their loved ones to fulfill a purpose greater than themselves in service to many people they will never meet or know, but because they want to ensure safety and security to others. 

I have seen the ravages of disease take over a person's body and cause aches , pain and loss of dignity. The courage to be positive or to solely endure seemingly endless hours of agony takes immense courage!

These are just a few of the examples that I have seen where courage is required.
We are just one group as adult children of divorce. And many of us may also be a part of one of the other groups, as well, which may demand more stamina and bravery than we ever thought possible!

I used to ask "Why Me?"  when I thought about my parents divorce.  I often ask "Why NOT Me?"  now.  I am not immune to the pain and hurt that others experience. God often entrusts it to us to do amazing things in our lives and to help us see Him in a new light in the future.   I try not to ask as many questions about my situation as I used to .

To be ready and prepared for unexpected things that are hard is something I strive to do better and more, just as the lions I watch on nature shows.  They are calm, confident and always aware of what may be lying in wait on the other side of the tree line.  When unexpectantly attacked, they respond. They may fight, or run , but they are ready.  They roar and make themselves heard and somehow "take it in stride".  They have learned to prepare for battles, not to be surprised by them and yet to have courage in the face of an enemy.

People with courage ( single parents, military people, ill people) often look to faith, and self-sacrifice in the response in their battle.  They often serve and look for purpose in the midst of their difficulty.

As adult children of divorce, we need courage.  Many others who do not have divorced parents need courage , too!!  Let's not forget that in all our pain. May we reach out to others who have hurts and anger and pain and sadness , too.

We can cry our tears with them and they with us and in doing so, we can all learn not to be surprised by difficulty in life, but to be prepared and ready and strong when the next battle comes.  Paw in paw, hand in hand, we all need courage to face the challenges of life!!!