This Too Shall Pass
When we are in the middle of a crisis, it can feel as if there is no end in sight. Dealing with it all is exhausting and depressing. But everything eventually works its way through to completion in some way, or at the very least, transitions into a new normal. When we are doing our best to rectify a situation, sometimes we have no other alternative than to wait it out.
But that waiting can be stressful. We do it so often – we wait in line for the car wash and at the grocery store. We wait for healing, test results, a promotion, and court cases to settle. We wait for acceptance letters, to be pregnant, and for our house to sell. The short waits are annoying. The big ones can be draining.
Countering that waiting period with something fun or productive is an alternative. A good movie or book offers some distraction. For more relief, we might take a class, exercise, pray, meet up with a friend, or volunteer. Our energies can be redirected to fill a need for someone else as well as ourself.
More importantly, we should take full notice of what is happening around us. No matter how challenging the situation, something good is in our life. If we keep our focus in that direction, we won’t miss out on the joys we also have.
The saying, “This too shall pass” has been repeated since medieval times because there is truth in it. We can endure most anything if we know there is light at the end of the tunnel. Life is full of challenges that pop up, but one by one, they do end. In the meantime, we can have hope in the new day and all the blessings that come with it.
©2013, Mary K. Doyle