5 Ways to Make Sense of a Life of Struggle

A series of pithy meditations to help you.

If you feel lonely,
Yet you don’t run from that emotion,
You will learn how to grow through pain.

Honesty is fitted to loneliness which makes for pain; to sit there and endure it. It’s the right thing to do. Don’t run from the emotion. It will do you no harm.

If you feel anxious,
Yet you don’t give way to that fear,
You will grow in strength through stillness.

Sitting in the anxiety is sometimes all we can healthily do. But don’t panic. Stick with calming words, thoughts and ideas and allow God’s Spirit to massage into you a sense for stillness which begets strength.

If you feel depressed,
Yet you don’t give up, bargain or fly into a rage,
You will grow in compassionate resilience.

There is a way through in pure belief that there is a way through. Though the heart gallops, bring it to a canter. Trust God to bring something meaningful into this season for all seasons to come.

If you feel angry,
Yet you don’t give way to the bitterness,
You will be shown the cauterising goodness in sorrow.

Anger is necessary, yet it need not be destructive. Be creative in your anger. And allow times when there is no bypass from the sorrow that sits just beneath your anger. Go into the sorrow and experience its cauterising goodness.

If you are overcome by grief,
Yet you don’t give up on the hope of a resurrected future,
You will yet learn to live life even in the midst of the loss.

It won’t always be like this. It won’t. It won’t always be like this. It won’t. It won’t always be like this. It won’t. Understand? You will see. And you need to hope this.

***

If life is a struggle, especially right now;
Don’t despair. It won’t always be this hard.

If life is a bore, especially today;
Don’t lose heart. It won’t always be this meaningless.

If life is exhilarating, right at this time;
Don’t get ahead of yourself. It won’t always be this great.

If life is a frustration, and you can’t get ahead;
Don’t think it’s over. There will another opportunity, and another...

If life is unparalleled joy, in the midst of this hour;
Enjoy it knowing it won’t last forever.

If life is so hard it’s just not worth living;
Don’t give up. Relief is just around the corner, if you look for it.

If life finds you reflective, in your present season;
Shout hooray! There’s always time to make meaning of life.

***

Life won’t always be the way it is now. What we miss may still be eclipsed by what is still coming. It’s a reasonable hope. Be encouraged.

© 2015 Steve Wickham.