As I am doing my devotions this morning, I read; “[1] Instead of running away from challenges, embrace them, eager to gain all the blessings I have hidden in difficulties”.
Huh! That’s easy to say! I was thinking of the areas in my life today that were causing me stress and how tempted I was to pick up the phone, call the people in charge of these projects and say “I’m sorry – I have too much on my plate right now, I’m going to have to back out of your project.”
How many times had I made this exact call? Telling myself it was the right thing to do, even believing it was an act of self-preservation, withdrawing for my own good.
Wait…..for my own good?!?!
Just the day before I had remarked to my mentor and friend what a blessing my professional life was. I told him I was doing some of the most exciting work I had ever done.
Yet, my Mentor and I had spent many years helping me to prepare and train for this profession: training that was often difficult and uncomfortable. Training during which I had often wanted to throw in the towel. What if I had made that same call then, to back out because things were tough? I am SO grateful now that I didn’t.
What a blessing my life is today for going through the tough times and not running away from the challenges, embracing them, and seeing all the blessing in the hidden difficulties. I’m going to take a deep breath, face my day with optimism because it will have blessings in store and persist through this time of challenge.
