We tend to try to dodge obstacles. Avoid anything that might cause us pain. We seem extraordinarily surprised when something difficult comes our way.
Truthfully, we should expect obstacles. We should expect hard times. The Bible clearly states we will have trials and yet our tendency is to do what is necessary to avoid them. I have never not been surprised by a challenge that comes my way. They always seemingly come out of nowhere for me. Call it optimism, naïveté, or just plain immaturity but I expect my life to be pleasant and easy and when it isn’t it shakes me.
Recently, while doing some heavy pondering on the subject, I realized that truthfully, we should expect trials of many kinds in our lives. If we expect trials, anticipate them even, they lose their ability to take us by surprise. As we all know, the sneak attacks are the hardest to cope with.
I have never entered a job and expected to fail, never taken on a project I didn’t expect to crush, never entered into a relationship expecting them to end. But you know what? They did end and I have failed. But failure is not a stopping point. It’s not something to be avoided or ashamed of. It’s as much a part of life as success, in fact, in many ways its a larger part. My greatest lessons and greatest launching pads have come from the stones that were meant to harm me. Learning to use what is meant to harm us for our good will truly change our lives.
Friends, stop trying to skip the struggle. Stop trying to avoid harm by playing it safe and being disengaged. In this life you will have struggle. But you will also have victory. You will have defeat, but you will also persevere. There are far better things ahead than any you leave behind. Anticipate the struggle and then use it to launch you in to success. Much love sweet friends.
