Hi friends! I hope you’ve had a lovely Thanksgiving! Thanks for joining us for this week’s edition of the Five Minute Friday writing prompt link-up.
If you’re new to Five Minute Friday, click here to learn more about the link-up and how it works.
This week’s FMF writing prompt is: TRADE
Setting my timer for five minutes, and . . . GO.Â
Sometimes I wish I could trade places with loved ones who are struggling, just so I don’t have to watch them suffer and could offer a way to take away their pain.
Like my kids, for example, two of whom have been struggling with health issues in recent weeks. I wish I could trade places and take their symptoms from them so they can experience relief.
More often, though, I’m tempted to wish I could trade places with someone who “seems to have it all” . . . you know, the ones who post travel pictures of beautiful vacations on sandy beaches with smiling faces and Shirley Temples in hand.
But I realize, of course, that those photos only show a partial reality. As long as we are in this broken world, each one of us will have burdens to carry — and more often than not, the Lord uses them for our sanctification and our good and for His glory.
And even though I show my discontentment by wishing I could trade places with others at times, I truly have *so* much to be thankful for . . . even on the harder days.
The Lord has been more merciful to me than I can describe, and I certainly do not deserve one ounce of His grace or love.
He gives me abundantly more than all I can ask or imagine, and my heart swells in gratitude.
STOP.Â
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Join the link-up with your own five-minute freewrite below, then visit your link-up neighbor to read their post and leave an encouraging comment:Â
Hi, Kate… getting an error message when I try to link my post.
I wouldn’t trade with anyone,
I really love my life,
for this is the way I’ve come
to find my dogs and wife,
and cancer’s really worth the pain
and the incontinence,
and it does help me remain
here in the present tense,
appreciating day to day
the blessings that the Lord bestows,
and this is not work, but play,
for everybody knows
that the road to happ’ly ever after
is lined by love and paved with laughter.
Thank you for hosting, Kate! It’s good to see you are looking on the Hope side of things, Andrew. Dogs are special (and wives… :)).
I understand that wanting to take the suffering for others and trading places in that sense. I think that notion of the grass is greener on the other side is pure illusion. We know deep down that our Lord has given us perfect gifts for who He created us to be.