Maturity

"No discipline is enjoyable while it's happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained this way."- Hebrews 12:11

Something happened to me, which I think was pretty weird. I was reading a chapter in the book of Daniel. It's been a while, so I can't even remember what part of it. Anyway, the point of that chapter was a prophecy from God to Daniel. God was going to punish the Israelites with certain disasters and hardship for a stipulated  amount of time, I think about 2,175 days. And then, I was happy which is the weird part. No, not because of the punishment but because it was an assurance to me that evil days are numbered. I felt relieved for them. At least there was an end date. There's a certain confidence that comes from knowing bad times are not here to stay. If you are writing an exam, for instance. No matter how tedious and hard the exam may be, there's a comfort that comes when you think about the last day of the exam. "Soon." We say, "It will all be over." Perhaps we could approach life's challenges with that philosophy too. "Soon it will be over."

There is a stipulated time for it to end, that stuff you're passing through. So, I think I have matured when instead of a silent anger or 'attitude' when I go through stuff, I smile and remind myself this too will pass. Maturity is when instead of grumbling at every little problem--I use the word 'little' very loosely--you take your time to learn what that problem is there to teach you. Maybe there's no lesson in that problem, but instead of panicking at every problem scare, just chill. Be still, and know he is God. I am not really sure there is a lesson in every problem or that everything happens for a reason. I think that's just crap people say to make you feel better. But that's story for another day.

The point is that knowing there is an end to whatever you are going through is a comforting way to get through the problem. And there always is an end to everything. Remember that.

I used to have a picture on my old phone, it said, "In the end, everything will be okay. If it is not okay, it is not the end." Perfect.

Love,
I