Published again! The Grass is Greener on the Other Side...?
I am blessed that my writing has been again featured on Fr. Anthony's website. Read it here! (And feel free to leave your comments/thoughts there).
We all face tough moments; sometimes, these can be extremely taxing and difficult to endure. We are often told to 'stick it through' because it will get better. "The grass is greener on the other side!", we are told.
But that does not always help. When we are experiencing challenging times, we need hope. And sometimes, thinking that things might get better soon (that the other side is greener) makes us more frustrated because we simply do not see a way out of our misery.
Instead, it might be helpful to realize that the situation we are experiencing now is tough. YES. Validate your feelings - your emotions are real. It is okay to be tired, angry, and distraught. But then...know that whatever you are going through has a purpose. You will learn something from this. You will grow somehow. Perhaps you will gain insight into a bad habit that you need to break, or maybe you will learn to appreciate the simple things in life. Maybe this hard time will open doors for you that you never considered before.
Regardless of the outcome, know this: God is working in your life at all times. You need not worry that things are 'random' in your life without a purpose. God often allows us to endure tough times because they are preparing us for something more, and because they remind us to depend on Him.
Don't waste your time focusing on the grass on the other side. Your field of grass is just fine - it is simply in the process of renewal. Your obstacles are like the rain - difficult to endure now...but after the thunder, the grass is watered and alive again. It thrives. And you will, too.
We all face tough moments; sometimes, these can be extremely taxing and difficult to endure. We are often told to 'stick it through' because it will get better. "The grass is greener on the other side!", we are told.
But that does not always help. When we are experiencing challenging times, we need hope. And sometimes, thinking that things might get better soon (that the other side is greener) makes us more frustrated because we simply do not see a way out of our misery.
Instead, it might be helpful to realize that the situation we are experiencing now is tough. YES. Validate your feelings - your emotions are real. It is okay to be tired, angry, and distraught. But then...know that whatever you are going through has a purpose. You will learn something from this. You will grow somehow. Perhaps you will gain insight into a bad habit that you need to break, or maybe you will learn to appreciate the simple things in life. Maybe this hard time will open doors for you that you never considered before.
Regardless of the outcome, know this: God is working in your life at all times. You need not worry that things are 'random' in your life without a purpose. God often allows us to endure tough times because they are preparing us for something more, and because they remind us to depend on Him.
Don't waste your time focusing on the grass on the other side. Your field of grass is just fine - it is simply in the process of renewal. Your obstacles are like the rain - difficult to endure now...but after the thunder, the grass is watered and alive again. It thrives. And you will, too.