Life is such a process.
And so often, we want to push that process – make it move on our
time. To be “over” that hurt or injustice quickly, like ripping
a band-aid off to get the pain over faster. We spend our youth
waiting for the next milestone – drivers license, high school
graduation, college selection.... Then we reach that coveted adult
status and start looking to marriage and children – then we can't
wait for them to grow up so we can travel (or just sleep through the
night!). And then our children are suddenly grown up and we wish so
much they could regain that innocence, that we could smell that sweet
baby smell on them again...
And this process doesn't
necessarily apply to just emotional milestones . When we were in
Afghanistan an aid worker commented once that there is a process to
development as well. A country moved too quickly through the process
is never really successful – they don't learn the lessons of each
stage to apply to the next more technical or industrial phase.
Sometimes I think this is true of people as well.... We have to move
through each stage to be successful in the next one.
And, we each have to
travel our own road through life; no two trips are the same.
Even someone who is experiencing similar life stressors, who may be walking the same walk, will describe much different scenery. I have a very good friend who I am so thankful for, who has been sharing similar experiences for the last two years. We often laugh that it is a good thing we don't fall apart on the same days; if we did who would carry who?? In reality, we both fully recognize who is in control (and it isn't either of us!!) and know if we both stumbled at the same time there is still another there to pick us up and carry us along.
Even someone who is experiencing similar life stressors, who may be walking the same walk, will describe much different scenery. I have a very good friend who I am so thankful for, who has been sharing similar experiences for the last two years. We often laugh that it is a good thing we don't fall apart on the same days; if we did who would carry who?? In reality, we both fully recognize who is in control (and it isn't either of us!!) and know if we both stumbled at the same time there is still another there to pick us up and carry us along.
And when you finally reach
the end of a difficult journey and the light is so bright at the end
of what has been such a dark tunnel you can see that the struggle was
worth it. Without all the lessons learned it would be impossible to
be successful at this new place, this new stage of life. Sometimes
the darkness helps you to appreciate the light all that much more!!!!
“For I know the plans I
have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not
to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
