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So long, 2017... thanks for the lessons

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The VOICE of Inspiration

By Don Lindsey

After a wonderful Christmas at my mother in laws place in Fort Pierce, the family and I headed back to Apopka happy and ready to enjoy the rest of the holiday season. While we’re still a happy bunch, my daughter came down with a bad flu like illness and still being in the Christmas spirit, shared that illness with the a few other members of the household.

About the only positive thing about having the flu is that it keeps you inactive and gives you some time to think. During the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s always been easy for me to focus on the worries I have instead of the blessings. As I’ve sat around the last few days feeling miserable, I’ve also have had the time to reflect on this last year and all the things it brought to us as a family.

2017 was a growing year for my family and myself. Like all families, we saw some rough patches and we saw some great situations as well. All in all, we have faced some adversity and have come out of it stronger and more united than ever. Except for the flu we’re currently fighting, we go into 2018 in good health and anxious to see what the Lord has planned for us.

This last year has also brought a ton of love shown to us by our friends, family and loved ones. Just a couple of days before Christmas, we received a visit from a couple of gentlemen from our church. Even though we haven’t been to church in a very long time, they reminded us that we’re still thought of and loved by our church family. I won’t go into too many details because I do not wish to publicize the personal moments that we shared with them, but what I can say is that their kind gesture has touched the hearts of my family and me.

The more I think of that visit and all the things we’ve been through as a family in the last year, I can’t help but see that love is the thing that held us together through the tough times we’ve faced in 2017. That visit also reminds of something that I talk about a lot and not just in these columns but in my everyday life and that is, when we show each other love, and work to build each other up is when we truly live up to the purpose that God created us for.

Recently I ran across a video of the comedian Jim Carrey giving a commencement speech in 2014. If you’re familiar with his work, then you know that he is one of the most zany and funniest people on the planet. In this video, he lived up to that moniker, but he also had some of the best advice I have heard on how to navigate life’s pitfalls and hardships. He said that we are faced with two choices when making decisions in life; love and fear. He explained that a lot of us choose our path in life out of fear we disguise as practicality because what we really want or dream for seems too risky or out of reach. I found that to be very profound because I’ve done the same thing in my own life before I decided to take a chance on moving here and marrying the love of my life. I could have stayed in that safe zone, but by risking hurt or failure, I have made my life so much better by going with what I wanted. As Mr. Carrey said in his speech, “You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.” As I look ahead to the new year before us, I plan on using the previous statement as my motto.

I’ve always enjoyed writing songs, but because of restraints that I put on myself have gotten away from that. I’ve always wanted to write a book, but didn’t think that I had the talent to do so. These are just two examples, but my point in mentioning them is that I recognize how I get in my own way of getting the most out of my life, and I need to change that and focus on the joys and blessings that God has provided. With that in mind I say thank you to 2017 for the lessons that I’ve learned but also say goodbye with excitement for what 2018 holds for my family and myself. God Bless and Happy New Year.

Don Lindsey is a follower of Christ, son, husband, father, and a survivor. Originally from Dayton Ohio, and resident of Apopka for six years, Don sees his life as a dedication to his wife, parents, children, and community.

Don Lindsey, Inspiration

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