When Life Gives You Lemons...
From one of the greatest, most insightful books ever written, Man's Search for Meaning:
"We must never forget that we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation, when facing a fate that cannot be changed. For what then matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into a triumph, to turn one's predicament into a human achievement....When we cannot change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves." -- Viktor Frankl
Did you know that the word "repentance" and its meaning has been morphed in our modern language to mean the same thing as penitence? Problem? Well its original meaning in biblical times was to turn and/or return. It focuses more on the concept of making changes more so than feeling bad or apologizing.
I mention this because I think one of life's greatest challenges that we deeply wish to rise to is to not simply change our circumstances, but instead to change ourselves. Sheri Dew, CEO of Deseret Book Industries, noted, "it is far easier to inspire others to do hard things than to do easy things. We have inside us a strong impulse to be better than we thought we could." Humans fear few things above stagnation; that is why many fear death, not because it may hurt but because the concept of being trapped or ceasing to exist is too painfully depressing for us to think too deeply on.
For the last two Sundays we've had Easter (The Catholic Easter on the 8th and the Orthodox Easter of the 15th) and it's got me thinking of what is possible if we try. I believe in Jesus the Christ, I believe that His sacrifice was for more than redemption from our sins but to enable us to improve and become better versions of ourselves.
May we take the time to do the hard stuff and change for the better, to look at our current trials not as stumbling blocks but as opportunities to redirect ourselves and see new possibilities.
Did you know that the word "repentance" and its meaning has been morphed in our modern language to mean the same thing as penitence? Problem? Well its original meaning in biblical times was to turn and/or return. It focuses more on the concept of making changes more so than feeling bad or apologizing.
I mention this because I think one of life's greatest challenges that we deeply wish to rise to is to not simply change our circumstances, but instead to change ourselves. Sheri Dew, CEO of Deseret Book Industries, noted, "it is far easier to inspire others to do hard things than to do easy things. We have inside us a strong impulse to be better than we thought we could." Humans fear few things above stagnation; that is why many fear death, not because it may hurt but because the concept of being trapped or ceasing to exist is too painfully depressing for us to think too deeply on.
For the last two Sundays we've had Easter (The Catholic Easter on the 8th and the Orthodox Easter of the 15th) and it's got me thinking of what is possible if we try. I believe in Jesus the Christ, I believe that His sacrifice was for more than redemption from our sins but to enable us to improve and become better versions of ourselves.
May we take the time to do the hard stuff and change for the better, to look at our current trials not as stumbling blocks but as opportunities to redirect ourselves and see new possibilities.
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