“Stand”

Do you ever hear one of those songs that takes you back to a point in your life…good or bad? That was me this morning driving to work. I popped in a Rascal Flatts CD (yes, I still have CD’s and yes, I still listen to them) into my player in the car and prepared to jam all the way to work. Instead..the first song brought me to tears. Tears of memories, tears of gratitude, tears of joy.

That song was “Stand”.  The reason it brought me to tears?  That song had become my personal anthem about 9 years ago.  You see, I had broken off an engagement and moved home…starting over on my own.  I was in a relationship that, at the time, I thought was great!  I thought he loved me, although he struggled with ways to show me.  He never abused me, never verbally abused me..he just didn’t love me the way I needed to be loved and didn’t give me what I needed in a relationship.  While it was the hardest decision of my life (weeks of sleepless nights, endless days & nights of crying and sobbing) and learning how to be “alone” again…I knew it was the best decision for me and him, to be honest.

We all have those times that try us, feel like tests to see how strong we are.  And, I think it’s safe to say that we each have several of them.  I know I do (car accidents that have taken several special people, my parents divorcing, breaking off an engagement, battling an eating disorder, etc).  But, it’s how we stand after those times that define us. This is where “Stand” comes into play.  While I love the chorus and clung to the words at the time that I needed them.

When push comes to shove, you show what you’re made of.  You might bend till you break cause it’s all you can take.  On your knees you look up, decide you’ve had enough.  You get mad, you get strong, wipe your hands, shake it off and you stand.

9 years ago this was what I needed to hear and we all need to hear it at some point in our lives.  We need to remember that we are stronger than we think and we can survive by trusting in God and reaching down deep to find our inner strength.

Today, it was a different line that struck me and brought me to tears:

Every time you get up and get back in the race, one more small piece of you starts to fall into place.

Those times that I’ve struggled in life or felt like I was battling something, have brought me to this place in my life today.  Those times are what has shaped me and made me the wife, step-mom, daughter, & the woman who I am today…good and bad.   Those tears that fell today were because I’m grateful, yes grateful, for the struggles I’ve had in life because I am so blessed and have so many amazing gifts in my life.  Those struggle have been lessons of who I truly am and who I want to be.  So many people choose to take the “bad” in life and consider themselves a victim and look up and say, “why me?”  I choose to take those situations and learn and grow and become a better person.  If you’re going through something right now.  Stand.  Stand up and show the world and everyone around you what you are truly made of.  I promise that it’s even more than you can fathom.  I know I was and I guess that’s all part of Learning As I Go.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_Vzpjv_kR4

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