"This too shall pass." The words were uttered with such a caring tone and loving embrace, I knew they were meant to offer compassion and hope. But to me, they rang empty and hollow, meaningless words for what seemed an unchanging, hopeless condition.
For the first time in my life, I whispered, "I understand why people want to kill themselves... they can't imagine living like this."
Yet, after six months of continual blinding headaches which made me pound my head in frustrated despair against the night-stand and an endless saga of neck and back pain that caused me to swear I'd never judge someone with unseen disabilities ever again, these words somehow offered the only promise I could hang onto.
Six months earlier, I thought I'd simply slept wrong when I woke up with what seemed an innocuous muscle spasm. However, this began a year-long struggle to combat a degenerated disc that seemed to resist any medical treatment and challenged my faith, my purpose and direction in life.
"This too shall pass?" Oh, Really? Perhaps if I had known that at the end of a year, I'd slowly be able to resume a normal life, I could have said, "Well, I don't like it, but I can do it." But I didn't know that. And I've met other people, like Andrea, whose hand was literally cut off above the wrist in the middle of a horrific domestic fight who didn't know how or if the nightmare would ever pass.
When we're in the middle of such a storm, whether it's a physical challenge, a spiritual crisis of faith or other world-upending events such as death, divorce or devastation we don't know how long we'll be in that dark tunnel.
That's when we have to hang on to words like "this too shall pass" as if it's a life line thrown to us from the deck of the Titanic. It's when we have to utilize the "action before feelings" principle that says: "Do what you know is right to do, or that you've perhaps learned you must do because of this crisis." Believe and act means even if your feelings tell you to give up, give in or go back to how it's always been, you step out in faith.
I had to learn to say no, to manage stress in my life and implement a consistent walk with God that meant regular talks with Him versus just calling Him up when I wanted something. Andrea had to learn to walk away from her life. You know, even though it wasn't the best, it was familiar and therefore scary for her to release. Others have had to face loneliness and the prospect of life without anyone there to share it. Stepping out in faith without any excitement, certainty or other positive emotion is a challenge at least, and at worst, a desperate last ditch effort.
Andrea now beams in her new life with a surgically attached hand and more importantly, a faith-attached walk that includes a job reaching out to others. Many others I've worked with joyously proclaim they've been through the fire and come out the other side, and they have the scars to prove it!
If you're in the middle of turmoil and you can't see an end, I encourage you to hang on to these words, "This too shall pass. Remember, Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." With His help, somehow, someway, you'll get through this. And if there are old habits, lifestyles, people or changes you need to release, you will say, perhaps totally by faith, "these too shall pass!"
For the first time in my life, I whispered, "I understand why people want to kill themselves... they can't imagine living like this."
Yet, after six months of continual blinding headaches which made me pound my head in frustrated despair against the night-stand and an endless saga of neck and back pain that caused me to swear I'd never judge someone with unseen disabilities ever again, these words somehow offered the only promise I could hang onto.
Six months earlier, I thought I'd simply slept wrong when I woke up with what seemed an innocuous muscle spasm. However, this began a year-long struggle to combat a degenerated disc that seemed to resist any medical treatment and challenged my faith, my purpose and direction in life.
"This too shall pass?" Oh, Really? Perhaps if I had known that at the end of a year, I'd slowly be able to resume a normal life, I could have said, "Well, I don't like it, but I can do it." But I didn't know that. And I've met other people, like Andrea, whose hand was literally cut off above the wrist in the middle of a horrific domestic fight who didn't know how or if the nightmare would ever pass.
When we're in the middle of such a storm, whether it's a physical challenge, a spiritual crisis of faith or other world-upending events such as death, divorce or devastation we don't know how long we'll be in that dark tunnel.
That's when we have to hang on to words like "this too shall pass" as if it's a life line thrown to us from the deck of the Titanic. It's when we have to utilize the "action before feelings" principle that says: "Do what you know is right to do, or that you've perhaps learned you must do because of this crisis." Believe and act means even if your feelings tell you to give up, give in or go back to how it's always been, you step out in faith.
I had to learn to say no, to manage stress in my life and implement a consistent walk with God that meant regular talks with Him versus just calling Him up when I wanted something. Andrea had to learn to walk away from her life. You know, even though it wasn't the best, it was familiar and therefore scary for her to release. Others have had to face loneliness and the prospect of life without anyone there to share it. Stepping out in faith without any excitement, certainty or other positive emotion is a challenge at least, and at worst, a desperate last ditch effort.
Andrea now beams in her new life with a surgically attached hand and more importantly, a faith-attached walk that includes a job reaching out to others. Many others I've worked with joyously proclaim they've been through the fire and come out the other side, and they have the scars to prove it!
If you're in the middle of turmoil and you can't see an end, I encourage you to hang on to these words, "This too shall pass. Remember, Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." With His help, somehow, someway, you'll get through this. And if there are old habits, lifestyles, people or changes you need to release, you will say, perhaps totally by faith, "these too shall pass!"
