Horse Shoes

Oh boy!  Bet you looked at this title and wondered "what is Molly up to with this one!" Yep, horse shoes.  Ever watch a horseshoe be made: A good hot fire, pounding at the anvil, more firing, more hammering, shaping, then cooling in a bucket of water..quite a process.  But afterward, a wonderfully, strong, supportive shoe for a horse to support its walking and running. 

Courtesy of Pixabay

Pondering over various friends' posts on Facebook and then looking back over "life" of others as well as myself, not one of us has not been in a "hot fire, pounding, hammering and shaping."  Each story is different, the details really don't matter.  When we're in the middle of this process don't we want to run, scream, avoid and complain? I know I do. 

But then something marvelous happens and we may not even realize it for some time afterward. I have seen hearts open up with understanding, ears "hear" a whole lot better, and one's vision can see a much broader picture of life. Judgementalism decreases, tolerance increases and peace and harmony grow. 

This in return can have a ripple effect on those around us, especially when we can relate to their struggles.  Yes, we each know what meanness and cruelty feel like, we know what bullying feels like...in some way or other, we have been there probably.  But the bigger picture questions how that has made each of us a better person, able to minister to a suffering person who is in the middle of the heat. That might be in the form of a comment, encouragement or an action on our part.

It takes courage and bravery to speak up, speak out, say "stop" knowing it is the next right thing to do.  Peace at all costs is not real peace.  Our past, as challenging as it may have been, can be a real gift in the present. 

Have you ever just sat and looked back on your past, the good times and the bad.  Some times we'd like to erase those awful times, the trying, frustrating, shame-filled times but what conclusion do we come to?  Have those times shaped us into the truly wonderful person we are, the strong, understanding person we are?  Are we grateful for the better person we have become or in the process of becoming? 

That's why I thought of horse shoes!  The fire, pounding and heat can make us a stronger and a very brave and courageous individual, if we let it! Let us not regret the past, nor with to shut the door on it. It's the past that has made me the person I am. How about you? Think about it!  

If you would like to discuss how life has put you in a place, like pounding of a horse shoe, I can be reached at 920.793.3530. If you would like to subscribe to my web, see: MollyLaFond.com and go to the "Contact" section, or scroll all the way to the bottom here and enter your email address.  I can see clients in either Two Rivers or Crivits, WI.