Article May 9, 1988 Issue

Loving the challenge

When your standpoint is spiritual, problems take on a different perspective.

Gwendolyn Joy Reges

You are on a four-lane highway, no exit in sight. Everywhere there is a sea of cars. No one is moving forward. Engines are pulsing. The radio announcer reports that the cause for the traffic jam is such and such and the solution will take twenty minutes. Suddenly, even though nothing has really changed, the situation isn't so unbearable anymore. Looking up you can see the traffic helicopter that reported the trouble. You realize that from the vantage point of the helicopter the situation could be seen as a whole, including confidence in the outcome.

When we are facing difficulties—physical, emotional, financial, or moral—there are times when we feel stuck. We don't know how to move forward, backward, or sideways to get out of the mess. The solution seems beyond our capabilities, and we can't see the end of the difficulty. The frustration and despair may seem insurmountable.

If someone were to say at such moments, "Don't be upset," we might resent it. No one likes to have difficulties dismissed with glib statements; we yearn for understanding and sympathy. We yearn for someone with an overview who can help us see beyond the despair to the reason for hope.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Loving the challenge

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access