Dusty Wells: Be Real!

I love to share my heart. I love to help others find the good in the bad that will certainly rage around us at times. I thoroughly love to help encourage, challenge and motivate others, and I sincerely love to share with others how great our God is at all times, even when we don’t feel it or see it. I love to get them to try to think differently about all we are walking in.

I am fairly certain there are people who often wonder: is it the real me being positive and happy, with all that they see me say and talk about on social media? So the other day, after I had posted something that I thought was uplifting and positive, someone asked me the question point blank: “Are you always positive and happy or is it a façade to masquerade your deep anger?”
I am sure they were taken back with my laughter and smile. I took a few moments to ponder the question, of course after I finished chuckling with them and then I gave them my answer, staring at them straight in the eyes! (I love it when that Jesus boldness rises up and you can look someone directly in his or her eyes and be secure in who He has called you to be). My response went something like this:
“Oh, my friend, my friend, my friend…No I am not always happy. I am not always upbeat, positive and energetic, no matter how much coffee or seeing my grandbabies I have experienced. I am not always smiling. And, I am not always in the best of moods…believe it or not. I am not nor have I ever claimed to be the most positive person or even wanted to be the Joel Osteen or whomever you might think is the most positive person out there. I am most likely just like you and the hundreds of thousand others out there who have so many questions, struggles, fears, hurts, difficulties and such. I have my own set of daily issues that involve my wife’s health, my family, fear of the future, insecurities and the list goes on and on and on.
“I too struggle with rejection and my own questioning of God and all of the daily why’s and how come’s. I get impatient and I don’t always like to smile. I think you get the picture. My friend, I for the most part, well I really am like you with all of the questions and the struggles.
“But here is where I think I may be a little different: I have learned at some point along the journey, that it’s okay to hurt, its okay to struggle and to ask questions, yet in the midst of all of that, it’s also okay for me to strive to maintain being positive and I love to strive to smile through the pain. I assure you it doesn’t always happen for me, and there are times that I am nothing but a crybaby and that’s okay too. It’s good to get it all out there.
“But I truly do understand that our words and actions can speak life or death to those around us, so for me – yes me, not everyone has to do it – but for me, I, Dusty Wells want to choose to share hope, life, forgiveness, love, encouragement, strength, staying positive, smiling, my story to all who I can by the strength of being positive and hopefully uplifting in all I do and say.
“No, I don’t always get it right, but I can honestly say: I try and it’s my heart. I learned a long time ago that life is not fair, but God is always faithful and good and kind and just, and that is what I want others to see”
So there was my answer and there will be my answer…
The person looked at me with tears in their eyes, they hugged me and then they said, “I want to try to be a little more positive today.” I hugged them back, and I responded, “I will be there to cheer you along the way and give you a smile. After all, we are all fellow sojourners and we have a story to tell.”
Peace my friends. Remember you are so loved and so valuable. Speak life!

By Dusty Wells

Originally published by SGN Scoops digital magazine in May 2015. For  current issues, visit the SGN Scoops main page.