"On Contrast and Compare"

contrast:  v.  To set in opposition in order to show the difference or differences between.
compare:  v.  To assess the similarities and differences between two or more things.

Hot and cold. Day and night. Light and dark. Rich and poor. Sickness and Health. To contrast and compare is part of everyday life, often without conscious thought or an awareness of doing it.

My appetite was gone. The thought of food had no appeal, not even that of bulk food bin #2001, a chocolate/nut mix favorite at the local grocer. I knew then I was physically ill and not just languishing in a mentally laggard state of slothfulness.  Sometimes my mind needs to get in gear before my body decides to go to work. I assumed that was the case.

For several days I had been pushing myself, dragging my heels.  The previous day I heard myself say repeatedly, “I don’t feel good.”  The loss of appetite was a clincher, proof positive it was physical, not mental. Feeling ill vs. feeling well. 

The concept of contrast and compare can be a valuable tool in life, one which provides a perspective and aids in bringing understanding to many experiences in life, often a before-and-after picture.

Deep depression was present and an on-going condition in my life for many years. I never cease to revel in the life I now live and know.  It is a picture of contrast and comparison. I feel I value and appreciate my current state more because of being trapped--and living in--the former one.

My heart goes out to those who struggle.  I would never have the same capacity for understanding or care had I not been in that place myself. I know and experienced the hell-hole depths of darkness and hopelessness of life.  At the same time, I carry a sense of hope and possibility for others.   

There are other areas in my life where I see contrast as well, an insight into changes in my inner, former states vs. the present. I have been given a clear mind, replacing mental chaos and a mind so filled with debris that thought processes were difficult. I can hear and sense my Creator. To think. To reason. Tears have been replaced with laughter. I no longer live under the bondage of obsessive, addictive behavior but in freedom. A grim outlook of absolute hopelessness and negativism has changed into a bright, positive outlook. A life of lies and darkness switched to living a life in truth and light.

Why do bad things happen to good people?”  I propose the substitution of the word “hard” for “bad.”  Life’s experiences may be hard, but that doesn’t make them bad. In fact, it’s the opposite.  They are invaluable in stretching us, developing maturity, and producing compassion and empathy, understanding for others.

Designed circumstances provide the opportunity to become the kind of person we were originally created to be. They change us. This, in contrast to remaining shallow, self-centered, narcissistic beings.   

What was is no more.  And this is what I want you to see--not only do the hard times bring about change both on the inner and the outer, they also create a point of reference.  In the contrast and comparison between what was and what is, we can always remember where we were, where we came from, and what a gift our present state is.  For me, that is the basis of ongoing gratitude to the One who brought me through, Who has given me the life I have.

"Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning."  Psalm 30:5