Fail, struggle, stumble, trip

I am not sure that I believe that the advent of modern social media has created more of a issue of people only presenting the good, hiding the bad, and giving everyone a false impression of what their reality really is.  I tend to think that has been around for quite some time, but of course it is more in your face if you have social media than perhaps fifty years ago, and you can then get those same images from people you know but rarely get to see by not living close enough to each other to see each other on a regular basis.  I think Christmas cards used to fill that role pre-internet.

Anyway, I am so not wanting to present any image that claims we are doing everything here with absolute success.  Sure, we strive for excellence, and we try to do things continually better (although realizing that "success" in some 100% sort of ethereal way is impossible) but in just living life I think we can all agree that there are some trip ups, struggles, failures, and just stumbling along the way.

So with a sort of demented pleasure I present a recent...one of those things.

When trying to help people, it is of course difficult some times to ensure what you are doing is actually a help.  Of course you do not want to help and end up hurting and planning and thinking about that can often produce other struggles.

You can talk, educate, and even almost scare people to get them to understand their own needs that they might be neglecting (physically...weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, etc...and spiritually their need for a savior and law completer) but often in trying to help you see...you have not made the connection you thought you did.

Darwin sent me this picture on Thursday of a 93 year old woman from our neighborhood that was using the cane and umbrella to steady herself as she walks the rough roads.  The clinic gave her this walker, and she was on her way.

Great picture, makes you feel good to see, literally, a difference being made.

The only problem is that what you see is not always what you get.





This picture I took the next day, of the same woman (wearing the same clothes from the day before?), back to just using her cane to get around.

Of course, that is her right, and I am not blaming her for not taking care of herself...she decides what is best to use to get around.

It is more an example of thinking you are helping when...obviously there was a disconnect there.

A walker is relatively minor compared to seeing people lose sight to glaucoma, limbs and/or life to diabetes, and eternity to not knowing Christ.

So yes, we try to help others, we try to help ourselves...and we screw it up, or just things happen that make you wonder where it all went wrong.

Except it did not all go wrong.  I told Darwin, sending him the picture I took, that sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying.  Part of that is to not try to hold on to that which you cannot control.  Part of it as well though is more serious in not getting bogged down in a perceived or real failure...and instead recognize where you tripped, try not to trip there again, and strive to find a better way to walk.