It’s tempting to hold on too tightly to certain moments – assuming life will always be this way. Without minimizing the significance of each experience, it’s helpful to remember the long game and the passing of time. Our story is not over yet and this too shall pass.
For example, we might assume things will never change when we face hardship. All we see is the darkness and despair of this present moment.
But this moment is just that – a moment.
When we take an honest look back, we remember life has not been all bad. We’ve enjoyed moments of goodness and beauty. And there’s no reason to assume such goodness will not come our way again.
This does not minimize the impact of our current situation. Sometimes life sucks and we don’t have to pretend it doesn’t. There’s no wisdom in sugarcoating the realities of our experience.
At the same time, we don’t have to stay stuck in the feelings of this moment.
We can honor our disappointments and grief and still live in hope.
Whether it’s a setback or betrayal, a misunderstanding or failure, a humiliation, dismissal, or the like, these are not the final word in our story.
Hope reminds us this too shall pass – that the storms of life don’t last forever. Even through a particularly rainy season we trust the sun will come out again.
This freedom of perspective allows us to maintain a proper balance – neither ignoring nor overly catastrophizing the moment.
We run the risk of bringing more harm our way when we get stuck – staying frustrated in the darkness of night rather than opening to and accepting the coming of dawn.
Accept the hard realities of life. But don’t stay stuck. Live in freedom remembering this too shall pass.
Photo by Michael Weidner on Unsplash
