Reading CHOOSE JOY by Sara Frankl made me wish I had known "Gitzy" while she was still alive. She sounds like an incredibly amazing woman who was "of the race of Joseph." I just know that we would have become fast, forever friends. My heart aches as I read about all the physical struggles she dealt with in her short life, but yet not only did she hold fast to her faith, but she continually--in spite of incredible pain--CHOSE JOY. Wow.
As someone who struggles on a daily basis to find things to be joyful about because of the trials I have been through, reading Sara's story demonstrates that CHOOSING JOY is not easy--it definitely is a day-by-day, moment-by-moment choice we MUST make. Sara knew that allowing herself to wallow in self-pity would only make her pain worse than it already was--and according to her story, it was more severe than most of us can possibly imagine.
I continually struggle with depression and its ugly deception of comfort, but like Sara, I know that allowing myself to stay in that state of depression (in other words, NOT CHOOSE JOY) is worse than living with the pain and CHOOSING JOY regardless.
It is wonderful that even a few years after her death, Sara's life and words continue to make a difference. I hope and pray that others meet her, as well, and come to know that true living, finishing the race, comes only from daily CHOOSING JOY in spite of....
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