Adversity

I went to Ohio this weekend to visit some great relatives. It was a really lovely time. I enjoy being with my family. There is something comfortable about being with people you are related to.

At one point my aunt, cousin and I went on a long walk down a beautiful beach on the coast of Lake Erie. I love our lakes... they are spectacular. On the car ride to the shore we were talking and I mentioned that I couldn't read until I was 10 years old. My relatives hadn't known that. I told them how my eyes hadn't worked and that whole story. They were quite blown away by at it made comments about how I'd over come adversity.

When we were walking on the beech I had a long think about people and adversity. It went something like this...

Humans go through struggles, adversities. Everyone. Not withstanding. Yes, there are different levels to which people experience adversity, but everyone has. And when we relate to people we should assume that they have been through challenges... and over come. This fact of adversity should inspire in us a deep sense of awe and respect for those around us. When we assume that others have been through hardships and have overcome them, this should encourage us to treat them well, with much love and care. Eventually this will simply become how we treat all.

And when we consider our own struggles, the things we've overcome, the things we've weathered, we should never assume that ours have been harder, more challenging than others. We should, in fact, be humble. Sharing our experiences as a way of helping others understand what has shaped us, and made us who we are. Yet as we share our experiences, our pains and victories, we can pause and say "Yes, God has created a person who is capable of over coming adversity"

The "going through", the "overcoming" of hardship and struggle will never fail to inspire. Let us all be inspired by the unspoken victories, the unspoken adversities experienced by the people we meet.

And let us stand inspired, awed, and respectful of that strength endowed by God to His creations to over come the challenges of our lives. Let this remind us of the dignity of the Human person.

It's not as beautiful when typed here as on the shore... but I hope it provides some food for thought.


I am pressed but not crush, persecuted not abandoned