“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the powere to revoke at any moment.” \u2013 Marcus Aurelius Antonius<\/p>\n
Marcus Aurelius was a second century Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher. Yet his words remain as true today as they were back then.\u00a0 We each have the ability to decide whether something that happens to us is bad or good.<\/p>\n
Let me give you an example. Last summer my dog, who I\u2019d had for 16 years, died.\u00a0 He was a mutt, but he looked like and had the energy of a black lab.\u00a0 He was the kindest dog I\u2019ve ever encountered.\u00a0 I used to refer to him as the Mahatma Gandhi of dogs.\u00a0 He died from old age when I was away on vacation.\u00a0 When I got the news, not only was I devastated that he\u2019d died, but I was racked with guilt for not having been with him in his final moments.<\/p>\n
My daughter and I had been traveling separately when he died. When we finally reunited, I confessed to her how badly I felt.\u00a0 She said to me, \u201cMom, it wouldn\u2019t have been good for you to be with him at the end.\u00a0 Animals are very sensitive to our emotions.\u00a0 You would have been so upset, and he would have felt that.\u00a0 Instead, he died peacefully.\u00a0 It was really for the best.\u201d\u00a0 She was right.\u00a0 What I thought was bad \u2013 my not being with him at the end \u2013 was really the best thing for him.\u00a0 I personally would have liked to have been with him, but that would not have been in his best interests.<\/p>\n
My talk with my daughter entirely changed my perspective on the situation. I still miss my dog, but he died at home and in a peaceful and quiet way.\u00a0 What I thought was bad was\u00a0actually good.<\/p>\n
Often what leads us to be distressed is a lack of faith in God\u2019s plan. God knows what is best.\u00a0 He knew what was best for my dear dog.\u00a0 The problem is that we think that we know better than God.\u00a0 So we get upset about all kinds of things, and we forget that God is in control.\u00a0 We forget that He has a plan for our good.\u00a0 We forget that He can use any seemingly bad situation for our benefit, if we let Him.<\/p>\n
So when we face a stressful situation, we need to (1) stop, (2) take a deep breath, and (3) believe that God can use whatever is happening to ultimately benefit us.\u00a0\u00a0 Getting upset isn\u2019t going to help the situation, nor is becoming bitter.\u00a0 Instead, we need to face hard situations head on, and truly believe that God has a good plan for us.<\/p>\n
We also need to remember that not every situation is as it appears at first glance. You may be upset that a relationship didn\u2019t work out, but God has someone better in store for you.\u00a0 You may not have gotten the job you applied for, but God has a better job waiting for you.\u00a0 When bad things happen, God will use them for your benefit in creative ways that\u00a0you couldn\u2019t even imagine.<\/p>\n
This week, if you face some bumps in the road, know that God is with you. Know that He has a good plan for your life.\u00a0 Know that He is going to take any problems that you may have and turn them into blessings.\u00a0 You simply need to remain open, positive and faithful, and keep doing your best no matter what the circumstances.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the powere to revoke at any moment.” \u2013 Marcus Aurelius Antonius Marcus Aurelius was a second century Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher. Yet his words remain as true today…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n