Lost and Finding Joy

Is God punishing us? Are we weak, insignificant and powerless? Maybe you want to do the right thing. You want to be patient and kind. You want to love others; only to find yourself pushing others away to keep from being hurt again. You want to understand — why?

Why can’t people just live and let others live? Why do some want to control what others think or do and impose their own belief systems on them?

Do you sometimes feel like you’re failing daily tests; all the while you just want peace for yourself and others?

Why can’t we be perfect? We lose our patience, we get frustrated, we feel hurt, we feel pain. We make the wrong decisions sometimes and put unimportant things ahead of the more important things. We unintentionally hurt others while trying to survive or preserve ourselves.

Maybe you want to do better each day, only to find yourself making the same mistakes again and again.

Maybe you wanted something to be one way, that turned out to be another way. Maybe you’ve tried years to “fix” things, that just aren’t ready, (and may never be ready) to be fixed. Maybe you’re having to fully accept the things you can’t change.

Is God punishing us? Are we weak, insignificant and powerless? No. It’s quite the opposite. These things teach us. They make us stronger.

Our weaknesses are revealed through the very process of navigating our obstacles and our challenges. Joseph Campbell, (author of the book The Hero’s Journey), explains that in every great story, the character has a river to forge, dragon to slay, or something to conquer. After the challenges, the character returns as a hero.

Every day is a gift to become someone better, someone stronger, someone wiser. We choose every day to be more patient, more kind, and more understanding.

Everyone has different challenges, different struggles, different imperfections. Everyone is getting through day-to-day, just like we are.

One day we will return to our true eternal home, hopefully as a hero. When we do, then we will understand why.

~Many blessings to you and yours.