THIS TOO SHALL PASS

I don’t know nor would I ever claim to know the depth of what seems to be our current Economic crisis in America. Listening to Rob and other’s with his knowledge we are still no where near hard economic times of the past in our country. I realize however that MANY are feeling the pinch, job losses, companies downsizing, pay raises being put on hold, higher health care costs, higher food prices, higher gas prices and the list goes on. While all of this may be real to you and the pain you feel about your situation is real, it doesn’t have to keep you from experiencing joy in your life.

Growing up I feel I was lucky to have a dad and grandparents that were very spiritual and handed down that seed of spirituality to me. Spirituality I have found never fails you. It will get you thru hard times and not let those hard times defeat you. As a human you must remember there is only so much you can do and the rest is up to God. That my friend is very hard for most of us humans to grasp because we want to control everything in our lives, and you can to a certain point. You can decide to wake up everyday knowing you will pound the pavement looking for a solution to your current situation. You will find and surround yourself with people who you can learn from, you will find a way to perfect your talents, and you will work on whatever issues are hidden deep inside you that may be holding you back. Yes as humans we are called to live this life and not to stand on the sidelines waiting for life to happen to us. I heard a saying once that I thought was so damn true, ‘There are 3 kinds of people, those that make things happen, those that watch things happen and those that have things happen to them. Don’t we all strive to be the person that makes things happen? I know from my faith that is how God wishes us to be, while also realizing that while we are trying to make it happen there is still a bigger picture happening in this universe that will have the last word.

If you are suffering hardships right now, please realize that hardships while painful are really an opportunity to remember your spirituality and to really learn and grow as a person. Trust me I know when hardships hit most of us want to crawl in bed and shut down from the world. But you can’t you mustn’t. This is the time that your best work on yourself and your life will happen. Think about it when times are good, we are just enjoying the good times as we should be, but we are not reflecting or seeing what needs to be changed in our lives. However when a shake up occurs in our life we are then forced to stop, take stock, and find a way out of the not so pleasant situation. If you are a person of faith you know God does his best work on you when you are troubled. You know why that is? We are more willing to listen to God; we are more willing to pray for answers, we are more willing to look to God for comfort. You know the cool thing about God is, he will get you thru that hardship and lead you back to the valley. Yep I know it’s a cliché, but life really is valley’s, hills and peaks. That is a beautiful process of life. Something that seems so tragic in our life and is a struggle to get thru will pass and you will come out the other side happier and wiser if you work the process.

You really can feel true joy and peace in your life even when there is a hardship. Happiness is not just meant for times without trouble, happiness is most needed in times of hardship. How does one accomplish this? You must make a conscious decision to focus on what you do have at this time of trouble as opposed to what you have lost or don’t have. Look you will be already trying to fix the problem, so there is no need to spend the rest of your day being depressed about it or complaining about it, that will just simply make you miss out on the moments of life and do nothing to fix the problem. This is a time to remember the simple things in life. Focus on the good. Don’t try and tell me there isn’t any, there ALWAYS is. I am truly amazed when I read a story about Holocaust survivors that found a way to see good for themselves and their future even when it didn’t seem like they would make it out alive, talk to a POW and it’s more than likely his good outlook is what got him thru, listen to those that went thru the depression that while hungry and cold still had laughter. God has given us one of the most powerful tools, our brains, to use for either good thoughts or bad ones and it’s up to you to decide which way to go. Being happy in the midst of a hardship while dealing with said hardship is a true testament of our human strength and you so have that ability.

Always remember ‘this too shall pass.’ Always remember to learn from your hardship. Always remember that the Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you, and that my friends help this to be a Wonderful Life!

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