●♥● The Blessings of Tribulation ●♥●
“What seem to us bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.”― Oscar Wilde
We all tend
to rejoice over the golden days of our lives. We remember the times when
everything was going well and all our needs were met. We are thankful for
these periods and we mourn when they are lost to us. We look with scorn
and contempt upon the woe and misfortune that befall us. When we
experience them we forever wish that they would end and when they are done with
we wish that they had never occurred. What possible value could there be
in our tribulations? Some answers might surprise you.
In a seven
year period how would you like to lose your mother to a long battle with
multiple sclerosis, suffer an abusive marriage and divorce, succumb to clinical
depression, and end up as an impoverished single mother on welfare?
No, not for you? What if I told you that it was just such misfortunes
that led to the creation of Harry Potter and his incredible wizarding
world? Yep, had J.K. Rowling been able to forego all these tragedies and
pains it is quite likely that Harry would have remained little more than a nice
idea shared with family and friends.
The loss of
her mother fueled Rowling’s writing about Harry’s loss of his parents. We
see her understanding of abuse in the cruelty of the Dursleys towards
Harry. The Dementors are physical manifestations of Rowling’s own
struggles with depression. Rowling felt like a failure and it is in that
place of desperation she wrote her amazing story of a remarkable boy struggling
to find his way in a strange unfamiliar world while facing a vicious and powerful
enemy. Even after she had managed to find a publisher who agreed to
publish her book, the editor advised Rowling to get a day job since she had
little chance of making money in children's books.
Now we look
at this all in retrospect. J.K. Rowling is a household name, a
billionaire in the world of authors. It would be interesting to ask her
if she wishes that any of those tragedies had never come to pass. The
reality is that without them there is a good possibility that the circumstances
used to create Harry Potter might never have come about. Continued
employment, a stable relationship and relative economic comfort would easily
have dissipated any need to write or publish such a story. Yes, these
events remain painful and tragic but their value in developing Ms. Rowling is
real and significant.
I am not
saying that misfortunes should be celebrated. They are and will remain
unpleasant and undesirable. I am however stating that our hardships can
and often do have value and it is important to recognize this. From the
adversity, pain and grief of Bill Wilson’s and Bob Smith’s lives came the
foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous, an institution that has been responsible
for the recovery of millions of lives trapped in addiction. Calamities have many
times become the seeds for success. The legend of the phoenix rising from
its own ruin plays out in real life and in many actual lives. It is an
unfortunate truth that change is frequently fueled by pain. We tend to
avoid the discomfort of change until it becomes too painful or dangerous to
remain the same.
In the film
“It’s a Wonderful Life” George Bailey gets to see the value of his own life by
discovering what would happen if he had never existed. It would be an
equally interesting film to see what would have happened if George had been
spared many of the disappointments of his life. For example, had George’s
dad stayed healthy a little longer then he would likely have travelled, gone to
college and perhaps Mary and their marriage might never have become part of his
life. Our lives can indeed be equally defined by both our triumphs and
our tragedies.
One of my
greatest sorrows is the loss of my twin daughters. Yet without this
brutally heart-breaking event I would not have any of the children that I have
today. Death set in motion the possibilities for life that would
not have been otherwise possible. So I must accept that my ultimate grief
birthed my greatest joys. This is a paradoxical truth for me. Ends
create beginnings and creation destroys that from which it is created.
Baking a cake obliterates wheat, eggs, sugar cane and milk. Personally
realizing this truth can grant one significant peace. As a father, my
heart will forever ache for Sarah and Amy but I bless the brevity of their lives
for bringing me Jeremiah, Courtney, Allison and Kimberley.
I write
these words for two reasons. First, if you are in turmoil now then
understand that you may be at the genesis of something new and beneficial in
your life. Suffering does not guarantee improvements but it can offer the
potential for growth and personal change. You will reap great benefits if
you are able find the gains within your losses. Secondly, when life drags
up the pains of your past then do your best to avoid indulging in regret.
Seek instead to remember any lessons that were learned and consider possible
benefits that you derived while passing through your trials. Think on the
helpful circumstances, people, places and things that may have entered your
life as a result of your difficulties. Become comfortable with this
paradox for we can achieve greater joy when we discover the blessings of
tribulation.
©2018 Scott
D. Wilson
