NAS: Engagements

Linking with the Not Alone Series again :) 

Do you struggle with balancing the sting of hearing about yet another proposal with genuine excitement? What emotions come into play? What virtues do you enlist to deal with it all?

I often find it hard not to get bitter at other people's relationships. However, I find it a LOT easier to be excited for people when I avoid a few things: 
1) Facebook. I'm not saying I boycott it completely, but the more I get sucked into the virtual world of comparison, the more I put myself down. I need to check myself and make sure I'm not spending too much time looking at what other people have, especially because I have a ton of awesome things going for me right now! 
2) Too much self reflection. The times when I am looking too much into myself, and not enough at God and  the needs of those around me, I find that I am much less satisfied with my place in life. That is when I have the tendency to complain or become envious of others. I am the kind of person who LOVES analyzing myself, so this is a hard one for me. I often can become very much lost in my thoughts, which can sometimes lead to a downward spiral of emotions. On the flip side though, it helps me to be very aware how I react to things, and I can keep myself in check. It is a gift and a curse ;) 

And one more phrase that has been fueling me: Don't let anyone steal your joy. Someone once told me that my greatest attributes are how loving and caring I am, but I need to be careful not to let those go. They will be my greatest strengths one day. I need to hold onto them.

Obviously, I don't want to be bitter toward anyone engaged, so those are the few things I try to avoid. And of course, above all, remain rooted in prayer. I want to rejoice with my friends, not be secretly envious behind their backs. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.