There are times when life seem to be going along pretty good and things feel, well... maybe not easy, but at least somewhat manageable and happy. Then there are the times when life is definitely hard, and just getting through each day is a major accomplishment. I have been blessed enough to have had some of both experiences in my life. We probably all know people who always seem to have it easy (which of course is a perception and probably not reality) and people who seem to have every possible thing go wrong for them all of the time. Most of us land somewhere in the middle where we experience some of both.
I have noticed there are two ways people generally respond to these hardships. Either they become humble and learn from their trials and become stronger, OR their hearts become hardened and they become bitter and cynical. I have noticed that those who become humble and learn from their trials seem happier and grow stronger because of what they have been through.
Last week my 18-year-old daughter Madelynn gave a talk at her church. She talked about how when we are humble in our difficulty our trials become miracles because they change our hearts. I had never thought of it like that, but as I reflected back on my life I could think of times this had been true for me.
The summer of 2004 was one of those times. That summer death seemed to permeate a 3-month period. First my cousin took her life. Three weeks later my mother-in-law died somewhat unexpectedly. The morning after her funeral I received news that my uncle had died the night before. I felt completely shaken up, yet within the next couple of weeks two children of people we were friends with went missing and were either found dead, or were never found at all. Five deaths in three months was enough to rock anyone's world. That three-month period changed my heart to help me be grateful for every moment with those I loved, and to treat each day as if it was our last together. Trials are miracles because they change our hearts.
A couple of weeks ago I learned that a beautiful and always-smiling young married woman in my neighborhood has lost 16 pregnancies, yes, 16, and still has no baby. How is she still smiling? I haven't had a conversation with her about it, but I can see that she has not become bitter and cynical. She shows love and caring to all around her.
Have you seen the movie "Love, Kennedy"? It is about a young teenage girl with a rare disease who faces a grim prognosis but brings light to all she comes in contact with. Very inspiring.
Then there is Madelynn, the one who got me thinking about all of this in the first place. If you have been following my blog, then you already know that my daughter faces joint pain and ever-decreasing mobility on a daily basis. Some days she can hardly walk, yet surprisingly she is cheerful and optimistic.
In her talk in church she told us that for years she was in a dark place (she was). This trial has brought her closer to God, given her inner peace and joy, and she says she would not trade her pain for her healthy body and her dark-feeling life. In her talk she pointed out that through her trial her body has not been healed, but her soul has. She taught that when we let our trials change us, humble us, and when we are willing to learn from our difficulties, then those trials become miracles, miracles that change our hearts.
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