Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Life Happens

"Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes."

Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo

The pace of life often seems haphazardly designed. We flow from moments of peace to extreme unrest in a smattering of emotions and words. Just when we feel that we have a firm grasp on our future, possibilities change and it quickly slips from our grip and shatters on the floor. Solid relationships become flimsy with one unexpected event. Unplanned circumstances transform stable surfaces of trust into quickly tilting floors of disbelief and uncertainty. Simple confidence in our physical health evaporates under the wilting heat of a surprise diagnosis. Our boastful confidence in personal truth is snatched away as our reality is distorted through other's perceptions. 

These tumultuous changes can paint a grim picture of our lives, but in the midst of hectic uncertainty we have a choice. We can be overwhelmed to the point of despair or we can choose peace that passes understanding and grow in stature and wisdom. Our response (even if inconsistent) will reveal our character and help to shape the people we are becoming.

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