Opposition In All Things

Compared to the weekend, my Monday was somewhat of a struggle.  I'll spare you the details, but sometime toward the end of the day, I was not feeling the peace that I felt over the weekend.  And don't worry.  In the grand scheme of things, the setback wasn't life changing...it was just a thorn in my side.

What would life be without an occasional bump or two? It keeps you in check.

A natural human tendency is to avoid all types of events that provide tension, resistance, anguish, and struggle, in our lives.  We'd rather choose the easier path and not deal with it, whether if it is a choice we made that caused us to be in the situation, or by some other external influence beyond our control.  

But we do need these experiences in our lives to appreciate the good times, and also to grow...especially to grow.

Think about the first presentation you gave in school, the first date you went on, the difficult class you took in college, the scrapes and bruises you acquired when you learned how to ride a bike, the first sale you made.  To some varying degree, these situations are uncomfortable.  But at the same time, there is something in us that rises to the occasion, that digs deep inside to bring out the best in us, to persevere past set-backs, to keep pressing forward.

And then when we complete our task, and there is a sense of accomplishment.  And for that moment, there is joy.

Thank about some roadblocks that stand in the way of your goals, struggles with relationships (from family to friends to co-workers), a death of a loved one.  Sometimes, we don't have a choice whether or not to participate in these experiences, but we draw hope, we pray, we move forward.  Sometimes we're able to make amends, overcome the obstacle, or find peace in the situation.  Perhaps, we're still in the midst of it.

I am thankful for the struggles, because of the growth from it, and because I can choose to find comfort from God, that I can overcome and appreciate the good times.