In the face of adversity.

In the face of adversity find strength. Now speaking about adversity I seem to have had more than my share of it in the last little period of life. 

It all began with the snow and the ice, I slipped while out walking one day and gave my shoulder a real bruising bang. The next day Moving it anyway at all was very painful. I was somewhat restricted in what I could do and kept forgetting until the pain shot up my arm to remind me. 

Just as it seemed to be improving I got the flu. Getting over that I was looking forward to some pain-free days if not longer only to find a way of jarring my arm once again.  

From bad to worse it went. I was out weeding my garden and bent down to grasp a dandelion only to bump my forehead onto the branch of a Buddleia that I had recently cut back. The branch burst open my forehead and left a painful bruise. 

Now if that was not enough I slipped two days ago bursting open my arm which had to be stitched and is now black from hand to elbow. The nurse who stitched and dressed it says that she is sure I have been living with a broken shoulder. 

The woes and toils of life. 

I will say this for adversity,  people seem to be able to stand it, and that's more than I can say for prosperity. 

But let us not get down and begin to feel morass. 

Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that at the time seemed especially desolating and painful with particular satisfaction. Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my 74 years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my experience, has been through affliction and not through happiness. 

The learning has brought me happiness but it was not the happiness that brought the learning. I am sure every artist knows that to create a half worthy artwork there has to be at least three or four that one is not happy with and the lessons of errors learned. 

So adversity we have but, and it is a fairly large but, there is a positive side to even this.

Problems often provide us with greater opportunities. 

Problems can promote our spiritual and physical maturity.

 
Problems prove our integrity.

Problems produce a sense of dependence

 
Problems prepare our hearts for a life with a sense of empathy for the troubles of others.

Have a wonderful day and mind how you go.