Last year, I dealt with this very difficult problem for the first time in my life. I went through a rollercoaster of emotions, all along feeling like a total failure. In that situation, I know my younger self would have given in to pride. Not wanting to be talked about and criticized over something that I didn’t need in my life, I would have simply given up and walked away. But I didn’t. I told myself that I was going to be more patient and understanding this time, believing that I could bring out the best in people and situations.
As it went on, it was like this painful toothache that was torturing me every single day. That one thing I couldn’t do anything about until it naturally got better. I prayed every night, asked people for advice, had my share of rants, and cried a little out of self-pity and loneliness. Maybe because it was out of a need that I decided not to walk away. Or maybe, because of all the emotions that I was experiencing – anger, frustration, anxiety, disappointment, and sadness, that I was too exhausted to do anything else. When I reached rock-bottom and told myself that I could no longer stay in that same situation, I decided that I wasn’t going to play it nice anymore. I’m just going to be completely honest, say my piece, and not care whether it was going to hurt or not.
When I did that, the situation took a 180-degree turn, and while I was glad at how things greatly improved, I couldn’t comprehend at first what had just happened. I thought the situation was bringing out the worst in me, but how did things work out so quickly? It didn’t make a lot of sense. Finding myself now in a similar situation but not as bad, I am calmer. Even if there’s still a little disappointment, the situation is more manageable, or should I say, I can manage myself and my emotions better. I can even laugh it off.
I think that in going through this situation, God made sure I learned my lessons, yes, with an “s”.
- Honesty is the best policy when you say it the right way.
- If you want to be tough, you have to stick it out.
- It’s going to be painful, and it’s going to take a long time, but believing that things are going to get better is not a lost cause.
- When you succeed, you’ll be thankful you never gave up.
- The next time something similar happens, you’ll know what to do.
- When you find yourself in a new situation, face it head on.
- It’s true what they say, “Pray without ceasing.”
Last but not the least, when you do something, don’t do it out of pride but out of humility. Be humble enough to accept that not everybody thinks like you. Be humble enough to say things not because you want to get back at them but because you love them and want them to learn. That not everything is under your control and will go your way. That you don’t know everything. That being humble and having hope that things will be okay is not a sign of weakness but the strength to endure. And those who can endure are the ones who will survive.
It was tough. But thank you, Lord.
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