Every difficult situation we face in life is an opportunity for growth. During the Covid pandemic, we were forced to put on hold the way of life we were familiar with. Businesses also had to change their usual practices. Consequently, many of us discovered better ways of doing things and found passion for activities we never thought we had. During the Great Recession from 2007 to 2009, the value of stocks dropped precipitously and continued over an extended period of time, and there was no indication where the bottom was. I, like many others, withdrew my investments for fear of losing them all. Those who were more initiated in this kept their investments intact and weathered the storm. Some even bought more stocks of great companies as they were trading at better prices. They saw an opportunity, while many like me, saw catastrophe. Over time, the world economy recovered and corrected itself, and as expected based on historical data, stock values rose exponentially following a crash.
Life is a long-term investment. We are not here to seek transient pleasures and fleeting worldly gains. Instead, we allow ourselves to be chiseled by the trials of daily life until we take a form that reflects the image of God. Like stocks, short-term failures and disappointments in life are not predictive of long-term success. The frequency of our ups and downs in life create a sawtooth pattern. As long as the line on the graph keeps trending up, we should be in good shape in the grander scheme of things. In the book of James 1:2-4, he wrote, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” A life crisis can compel us to learn better ways to live. Sometimes, that is what it takes to soften our hearts and open our minds to accept correction. However, when trials become painful, we sometimes withdraw from God and soothe our pain by returning to sin, only to realize this makes the pain worse. We eventually learn that when we are in pain, we are better off holding on to God, rest in His love, and anticipate a deepening of our trust and faith in Him that leads to true peace and happiness. As long as we keep our eyes on our ultimate goal, we will continue to rise after a fall. The lessons we learn from each fall pushes us forward and upward faster towards our goal. As we achieve a certain level of maturity in our faith, we become capable of going outside our comfort zone. Instead of focusing on our own growth, we now find meaning and satisfaction in reaching out to others and do great things in the name of serving God.
When faced with setbacks, challenges, or negative circumstances that disturb the status quo, it is important to acknowledge that they exist and view them without judgment. We are to avoid labeling them as bad, difficult, stressful, disappointing, or painful. Our focus should be on figuring out what we can do given the reality we face. Resisting reality is a waste of time. Our energy should be channeled towards making the best use of what we have, contemplate how we can turn a negative situation into something favorable to us, and seek out new opportunities that these impediments have compelled us to consider. Living in self-pity asking why things had to happen this way is a fruitless exercise. We have no power to alter the course of something that had already happened. There are also some things that we simply have no control over. Pondering why something happened should be limited to discerning what lessons can be learned from it.
In the book “Tuesdays with Morrie,” author Mitch Albom chronicled the time he spent with his mentor, Morrie Schwartz, during the last few months of his life. He shared with us the lessons he learned from a dying man about how to live. This book was translated in 48 languages and sold nearly 18 million copies worldwide. Even at the brink of death, Morrie made good use of his time here on earth and inspired and encouraged millions. Jan Koum and Brian Acton, co-developed WhatsApp, a popular instant messaging application. They were both rejected by Facebook when they applied for a job in 2009, only to sell WhatsApp to Facebook in 2014 for 19.3 billion US dollars. On August 4, 2009, Acton tweeted, “Facebook turned me down. It was a great opportunity to connect with some fantastic people. Looking forward to life’s next adventure.” They did not get the job, but they built relationships and made connections during the application process. This great rejection led to the largest acquisition to date at the time.
When our lives got turned upside down during the Covid pandemic, we all had to adapt in order to survive. People were getting sick and unable to work. We were forced to isolate and keep our distance from others to avoid getting sick and making others sick. As a result, our economy tanked. Businesses needed to find ways to continue its operation in order to keep the lights on. People were asked to work from home. Meetings were held remotely via video applications. Restaurants were closed for in-room dining but they tried to keep the cash flowing in with take-outs and deliveries. As grim as the situation was, the pandemic eventually ended. However, the new way of doing business we adopted remained. It became apparent that allowing employees to work from home was desirable for them and beneficial for businesses as it lowered overhead costs. Video applications like Zoom, Teams, and FaceTime flourished as online meetings became standard practice even after the pandemic. It was convenient and it reduced travel expenses. Food delivery services like Uber Eats, Door Dash, and Grubhub became a new cultural phenomenon and are likely here to stay. Consumers realized the convenience of having food delivered to their homes, and restaurants who did not have the resources to have their own delivery service, can now do so in a more cost-effective method. Stock prices dropped during the economic downturn. Though this reveals a negative economic outlook, to some, it was an opportunity to buy stocks in good companies at a lower cost. The crisis that was Covid led to changes that improved our lives. Thanks to those people who faced what was meant to destroy us and turned it around into something positive. They recognized new opportunities born out of this tragedy and did what they could to cope. Many did not only survive, but they thrived in the face of enormous difficulties.
As the earth unceasingly revolves around the sun, our lives also do not cease to evolve. Our bodies continue to age with time, and we lose certain abilities in the process. Likewise, the wear and tear of daily living contribute to our inability to maintain the status quo. Similarly, people in our lives come and go. We encounter them along the way in life’s journey, and some stay for a minute and only a few are with us for a lifetime. Although our physical prowess diminishes over time, our wisdom and maturity increase. A basketball player may not be able to jump as high as he ages, but his knowledge of the game deepens. It is wise to see this coming and accept it. The player can then transition to helping others as a coach or trainer and continue to contribute to the game he loves. When we suffer injuries or succumb to illness, it is wise to acknowledge our disability and proceed to keep our minds busy and our days productive by focusing on the parts of our body that remain intact. As long as we are alive, we are to live with a sense of purpose. Do not fret about what we lost but be grateful for what we still have and use them to serve God by serving others. It is in serving others that we find meaning in life. When people we love leave us for whatever reason or lose appreciation for us with or without reason, it is wise to accept that this is not within our power to control. Recognize though, that we only have so much time and energy to spare in a day. Loving someone takes time and energy. Understand that because someone left, there is now room to welcome someone else. There are always people out there who need somebody, and people out there who would appreciate what we have to offer.
God never promised us a life without suffering or difficulties. In fact, Jesus said in Luke 14: 27, “And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Trials and tribulations mold us, sanctify us, and strengthen us. We are encouraged to welcome them. In the letter of St. Paul to the Romans 5: 3-4, he said, “… we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” There is value in struggles and dealing with challenges. Suffering builds our character and prepare us to do greater things. In the second letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 4: 16-17, he said, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” In my book, Divine Intervention: A Story of Healing, Love, and Hope, I shared about the pain and suffering my family and I went through as we faced the life-threatening illness of our youngest daughter. Even though I would not want to go through this again, and would not wish this on anyone, I am very thankful for what that experience had done for me and my family. I would not have the passion and energy for the work that I do now, encouraging and inspiring others, if it were not for the baptism of fire I received. Even though God allows suffering in our lives to achieve His divine purpose, He promised to help us through it. In Isaiah 43: 2, He said, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Welcome challenges and difficulties in life as if they are our friends who are there to give us tough love. We need to view them, not as problems, but opportunities to help elevate us to the next level.