A father
of
five children, who lost his job a year ago, had to survive on part-time
work while looking for a steady
job. He was sure the financial strain would intensify conflicts at
home.
But to his
surprise,
the layoff became a blessing. Every one of his children expressed joy
in
the extra time they
had with
him; they enjoyed his smiles and big hugs at the end of their school
days,
his time to help
them with
projects, and the riddles he tucked into their lunches. They also began
pitching in to help
run the
house—and
to help one another. And when employment was eventually found, he
continued
to act upon
the important lessons he had learned.
How often
we encounter trials, only to discover that they turn into blessings.
They
make us grow in ways we never
expected and perhaps open doors to better relationships with those we
love.
An illness
forces
a family to make room for Grandma, and their lives are blessed by her
stories
and
wisdom. We
can find the silver lining even in minor setbacks: a power outage
darkens
the television
for a night,
and a family learns how to talk to each other again.
Sometimes it's just a matter of having a bright outlook. If we decide to make the worst of a mishap and focus on the negative, the negative is what we'll find. But if we look for what we can learn—or for a way we can use an event to help others—we'll always come out ahead.
We all
know
people whose lives seem filled with adversity; yet they smile through
storm
and
sickness,
always looking for something positive in the setback. They don't
complain;
rather, they
count their
blessings and think of ways they can benefit from the experience.
Harry
Emerson
Fosdick said: "Rebellion against your handicaps gets you nowhere. One
must
have the
adventurous
daring to accept oneself as a bundle of possibilities and undertake the
most
interesting
game in the world—making the most of one's best."1
The silver lining is
always there if we make an
effort
to find it.
____________________
1
Lillian
Eichler Watson, ed., Light from Many Lamps (New York: Simon &
Schuster,
1951), 155.