Life or Something Like It

By D.L. Lunsford

When you are peering out of life’s window, what do you see? Sometimes the view is breathtaking, other times shocking, but no matter what you observe, at some point you must leave the safety of your perch and experience the wonders and challenges of life.

No matter your station in life, you will get some bumps and bruises; you will shed some tears. Black ominous clouds will shroud blue skies, thunder and lightning will boast great things and powerful storms will howl and threaten all you hold dear.

But change is inevitable. The sun always finds a way to overcome and light your way, and the seasons will admonish and encourage you never to give up because bruises heal and tears dry up. And somewhere along the way, you discover a strength and a resilience you never knew you had.

This book, comprised of insightful teachings, short stories and poems explicate life’s journey and discoveries. It’s about what happens when you lose your way, what happens when you find it, and what happens in between.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781794869905

Book preview

Life or Something Like It

LIFE or Something Like It

D.L. Lunsford

Copyright

LIFE or Something Like It

Copyright © 2020 by D.L. Lunsford

ISBN: 978-1-79486-990-5

First edition

Published in the United States by Lunsford Creations

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the author.

Note: The content in this book is the opinions, ideas, and creative works of the author and is for general information and/or entertainment purposes only. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering professional services in the book.

The author and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.

All scriptural quotations are taken from The New King James Version ® of the Bible. Copyright © 1982, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Image used on cover is released under Creative Commons Zero license.

Dedication

Unto the Lord I render all my works.

🙏

To Fathead, my greatest supporter.

To Oats, my biggest fan.

A Word from the Author

✿❀✿

The finish line is the end of the race or course. Job completed; mission accomplished. Because I have yet to reach this finish line, my eyes are fixated on it.

But…

If I just focus on the end, I’ll forget all the people I encountered on the wayside who, for whatever reason, didn’t stay the course.

Hurt, bitter, and disheartened, they stood by the wayside discouraging other travelers, other runners. They no longer believed, so they tried to dissuade others in their faith. Sometimes their arguments were so convincing I faltered. But despite my bumbling and stumbling, God kept me and I continued the course.

If I just focus on the end, I’ll forget how God steered me away from pitfalls and traps.

And the ones I got caught in, He got me out of. Some of those traps were so great, the pitfalls so deep, I didn’t believe I’d make it out. I may have come out with a limp, some wounds and bruises, but I did come out. Not everyone makes it out the pit.

If all I focus on is the end, I’ll dismiss the times I was so discouraged I almost let go.

I can’t afford to forget how treacherous the road became. Much was abandoned along the way, had to learn to travel light. Fell among robbers and lost some precious cargo. The loss so great, my heart so heavy, finishing the race no longer appealed to me. Then just as I was ready to tap out, God showed up, picked up my fragmented heart, lighted the path, and gave me the will and the courage to go on.

And if I focus on the end, I’ll overlook the strangers who helped me along the way, the ones who cheered and rooted for me.

I found myself on the road with some remarkable travelers, each with their own troubles, harboring their own grief and disappointments. And even on the most despairing days, they believed in the light they saw in me. Thank God for the camaraderie among fellow runners.

I’ve lived (and am living) a whole life of ups and downs travelling down the road to promise, destiny, purpose, achievement. The person I’ll be at the finish line is a result of all I went through to get there. Best believe I will rejoice when I get to the end and receive my crown or reward, but crossing the finish line won’t make me a winner; I became a winner on the road.

In this book, I share with you some lessons life taught me and I’ll show you the world through my eyes. Some of which may be a little shocking, but I hope most is relatable. In any event, I do hope this book affects your world and perspective in an invaluable way.

As a final note, you may notice my heavy use of the pronoun he/him. To my female readers, please take no offense. I use the pronoun he/him in general terms and have no intention of excluding or denying my sisters in any way.

-- D.L. Lunsford

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. – Ecclesiastes 3:1

Part 1

Lessons Along the Way

All Labor is Profitable

In all labor there is profit. (Proverbs 14:23)

All labor. Not just the kind whose wages we can deposit into our checking accounts. Unfortunately, that’s the one that seems to get the most praise. We spend a great deal of time working to fatten our wallets and our bank accounts. We recognize the value of a dollar and the doors money can open for us. We focus so much on working for the paper, we trivialize the other work.

But all work yields profit.

Consider: Happy families are not born; they’re made. Made by the work we put into them. A house becomes a home because we work to make it one. Developing a relationship with God is work, the most profitable work we can ever do.

We work at becoming good people, work to become great. We work to make our gardens fruitful and weed-free. Shopping is work–finding sales, the best deals.

We work to smile when we feel like crying, forgive when we want to hate, get up after we’ve been knocked down. Fight back when we want to give up.

If you want a full life, then you must do the work. All the work. A house is more than one wall; life more than money.

Case and point: If none of this work has value, why do you get so stressed? Why do you seek relief, release, and escape? Why do you get tired?

Your labors are not in vain. They will yield fruit if you don’t give up on them. Recognize what you do and do it with purpose and expectation.

Oh, and don’t be deceived: Love is more than a feeling, it’s work.

So, work on your marriage, your home life, your children, your dreams. Work on yourself. All of it has value; all of it matters. It’s time to stop taking the work you do for granted. And it’s time to stop letting other people do it too.

Beating Your Bully

Anyone of any age can be a target for a bully. Loners are the most obvious prey, but because everyone has weakness, smart, pretty, successful, athletic people can be targets too. Everyone has something he (or she) struggles with, and a bully recognizes weakness because he is weak.

Understanding the Bully

Weakness drives a bully. If you were to ask him (or her) why he treats his target the way he does, his answer would be either exaggerated or senseless. It could be he