The GRIND ( Happy New Year)

I asked the question "How is she doing?" and the response was "She is fine but not sure she can handle the grind, the daily routine of her new life". Oooooh! I thought, that's a grim response.

I was perplexed and continued thinking again and again about the response and then asked myself, "Do I handle the grind?" 

The longer I pondered this question, the more I realized we ALL have grind, we may have different grind but we all have grind. Some may be the physical disability grind, emotional grind, financial grind, spiritual grind or even the weight loss grind, the kid drama grind, the in law grind, the cancer grind, the bad boss grind, the aging grind and on and on it could go. 

Everyone has Grind! It is how we handle or cope with the grind that makes the compelling difference. We can stay in the grind and allow it to mold us, teach us perseverance, patience, forgiveness, compassion and contentment. OR... we can avoid it, run away, play the victim card, live in constant drama mode, defense mode, have a anger filled spirit, lack of empathy and plagued by a depressive state. 

If I am sincere with you and myself, I have done and been all these things. On a regular basis, I have keep myself from jumping off the cliff of despair and intentioanl choose to walk away from the raging confusion in my own head and heart. 

   

Looking up the definition of "grind" was thoroughly interesting and may not be appropriate for young children! (haha). The definition is not significantly important but the layer a little deeper then that, that matters.

How does our personal grind effect us? How does it change us? I began to look around and ask this question to people crossing my path. 

How are you doing in the grind of life? WOW! Powerful question, heads up if you decide to ask, be ready to listen. 

I have been water walking in the lane next to a gentleman and when I asked him the question he begins to tell me about his wife who sadly took her life and for years he struggled with severe depression. The pharmacy tech opens up about his own medication struggles to comfort my self judgement, the coffee barista unloads a past that could make your head spin and the wealthiest of people that are hurting and coping from abuse and loss that money can not fix.  We are surrounded by the grind of life.

Jeremiah 17:8

They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

How would someone answer if they were asked, how I was handling the grind. The daily job, the daily parenting, the daily marriage, the daily internal struggle. Honesty if I was being graded it would change everyday. I am a wishy washy mess 90% of the time so I guess that would be a big "F" on my report card. 

However who is grading me? Seriously who is the teacher that is looming over my work and grading my life? It is anyone I give the power to do so, you my reader, my co-workers, my kids, my parents, my siblings.......my self. 

Reflecting back over 2016, will it be any different in the New Year? No! not really, the daily struggles (THE GRIND) is still there but what will be different is who I allow to grade me.

 

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He watches all his paths. Proverbs 5:22

Happy New Year, Happy New of the same Grind, Happy New You, Happy New Ideas, Happy New but kinda like newly used. Happy Recycled is really what we could call it. 

Bring on 2017!