God has brought us into this time; He, and not ourselves or some dark demon. If we are not fit to cope with that which He has prepared for us, we would have been utterly unfit for any condition that we imagine for ourselves. We are to live and wrestle in this time, and in no other. Let us humbly, tremblingly, manfully look at it, and we shall not wish that the sun could go back its ten degrees, or that we could go back with it. If easy times are departed, it is that the difficult times may make us more in earnest; that they may teach us not to depend on ourselves. If easy belief is impossible, it is that we may learn what belief is, and in whom it is to be placed. Frederick Denison Maurice (1805-1872)
Sometimes we wrestle and other times we coast. I’m glad for the coasting times.
It isn’t always easy to wrestle. Previous wrestlings develop muscle needed for other wrestlings. And in the battle, it can’t always be seen what muscle, if any, we are winning.
But it is a truism to spend our time in the present moment. We can’t do otherwise anyway. If we look back or forward, we can either be distracted from today, worried over issues yet to be or still unresolved, or kept from winning in this present moment. OTOH, we can’t force the issue or wrestle any quicker than in God’s time.
Recently I’ve realized the strengths I gained in earlier times that were unbearably difficult. I’m not sure until now that I’ve seen any strengths from those times; I still felt somewhat battered and bruised, even my faith, if I let myself go there. Yet having those experiences allowed me more recently to go straight to solutions vs. wasting any time on questioning why something was happening around me. I had worked out all those questions, insofar as possible, during the previous wrestlings. Ultimately I came to a place where I could say that some questions are unanswerable here. To get there I had had to wrestle, which is not to say I won’t ever have to wrestle that out again. But I’m wrestling from a different place.
If you are wrestling right now, look for the strengths you are developing. Be gentle with yourself. Allow yourself the time to grow. And realize it might not be until years later that you realize what you have gained.
Onward!
Karin
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2 comments ↓
When I am in a tough time - or even good time - it is great to have a person around that is a promoter. This individual lifts you up and finds your good. I have a person like that in my life and she is a blessing. I really think these people are rare. They look at a person and see that person’s greatness - everybody needs to find one today and go to lunch…. smile big!!!
It helps to have someone like that when you are building spiritual muscles. Otherwise it’s just too tough. OTOH, it’s good to surround yourself with positive people as much as possible, simply to avoid the joy-suckers in life.
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