As I was taking my walk around the neighborhood the other afternoon, I got to thinking about CHANGE. How when things are going well, we don't want anything to change BUT when problems arise we don't want to face them. When we blog we usually just talk about the good things, but those of us who are honest also mention the challenging times also. There's a new book out that sounds very interesting by a Utah author Amanda Dickson entitled Change it up! Looking differently at the change you want––and the change you don't.
The author challenges you to think of 3 times in your life that were painful. Hold each one in your heart for just a moment and remember the GIFTS it gave you. Other questions include:
1. What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you?
2. How has it made you who you are today?
3. What has it taught you?
4. In what ways would you not be YOU without that challenge?
5. In other words, how has it blessed you?
Recently after Christmas I went through a down time. It took lots of digging to figure out what was really bugging me. It went back to an event in 1975 that forever changed my life when I divorced my unfaithful husband and set off as a single parent. Now applying the questions above. Getting divorced was the worst thing I could think would ever happen to me, but it also was a blessing as I learned how to function on my own as a single parent and find my self worth as an individual. It was a blessing in disguise.
So as we wish our children wealth and happiness we also need to understand that trials will come their way and challenges for them to grow from, and that's okay.