Forced Inspiration (and a tangent)

That's kind of a bleak title.
What does that mean?
It means that I really have nothing else to do at school right now in between classes, so I thought "Why not blog?"
in other words, this could kinda get diluted, so if you want to go to the next blog or to facebook, go right ahead.
Forced inspiration can be really rough. It could cause a preacher to not put his best foot forward for God, trying to make a point when all he is really doing is sticking his foot on his mouth. It could cause a songwriter to put together a really bad song just to meet a deadline, yet the song goes forward. Forced inspiration can make a really bad novel.
Change the connotation. Sometimes forced inspiration can be good. A person in the pit of depression or grief may not want comfort or guidance at that particular time. A board at school today had this message: "Sometimes we miss the silver lining because we were searching for gold." Follow me here:
While dealing with the recent passing of my friend (see last blog), I would look at his wife's facebook profile. She posted a status update that was saddening. To be honest, 'Til death do they part was not supposed to come this early, right? Then I saw numerous comments from people, giving the usual lines. They are trying to help, I know that. But I think these were just "instinct lines." We are programmed to say these things instantaneously in an attempt to comfort someone. Something bad happens? "There must be a reason," or "All things work together for good." Yes, both are true, but SHUT UP!
Think of Job. When his calamity happened, what his friends did for him at the beginning (before they accused him of everything under the sun) was the best thing anyone can do. They sat with him. And they said nothing. Silence can be golden to the hurting and depressed. Save your words for later, when they are trying to pick themselves back up.
This is when forced inspiration can be good. A smile from a stranger. A smile from a child. Just a simple word, like "I love you. I'm here for you. I prayed for you today." (I phrased it like that because most folks say I'm praying for you and never think about you the rest of the day.)
Philippians 4:8 says: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." If you're depressed, think of your blessings given by God. If you've lost someone, yes, think of them. At the same time, if they belong to Christ, think of where they are. Remember the past with joy. I know it hurts. My goodness, it hurts. Depression is not a fun thing. Grief is miserable. Forced inspiration can be tough, but it can also give us what we need while here on Earth.