Loss sucks. That’s it. I’m done. Thanks for reading this week’s post. Just kidding. But don’t you agree? We invest time in things that end poorly.
None of us have to try hard to identify losses that seemingly come at the speed of light. Losses happen whether personal, professional, or just in the midst of the minutia of life.
Last weekend Hubby Guy and I lost a foster kitten. She died early Sunday morning and the event gutted both of us. It came as no surprise but we both hoped for a miracle we did not get. The veterinarian narrowed her issue to a small but deadly list. We will never know which one took her, and I will never forget watching disease steal a little more of her each day.
Life punches hard some days. However tempting for us to feel picked on, we do always have an important choice to make. We get to wrestle between reaction and response. Our choice either sets us up for success or ushers in unnecessary drama. Hubby Guy and I shed tears over the loss of baby Dumpling, but we soldiered on with the rest of our day. We went to church, lunch, and a basketball game with the fresh kitten grave in the backyard on our minds.
When my children whined about things that ended poorly, I always said, “This experience builds character.” The sentiment irritated them. I get that. Who wouldn’t rather live an enchanted life where everything goes your way? But none of us live enchanted lives. We live messy, messed up lives, forever in need of intervention.
The first 5 verses of Romans come to mind when I want to choose to dwell in drama. For a long time, I had verses 3 and 4 written in the back of my Bible because I found I needed to read them often.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:1-5 (CSB)
Did you catch that? Hard times produce endurance which produces character that leads to hope. Scripture provides a golden thread to track through tough times. God’s word does not promise smooth sailing. It doesn’t, however, leave us hanging. Through faith, we obtain hope that will not disappoint us.
So, when we get that speeding ticket, our work life continues to disappoint, a friendship sours, we lose a sweet foster kitten, or any number of other things tallied as losses, we can know those things through growth ultimately add up to something far more valuable than any painful loss on earth.
Dumpling’s short life reminds me of how much we can do with very little. On her last day, she walked around giving love to her siblings. She fought for her life and gave every ounce of energy to showing love as best she could. Her tiny example gives me hope that God’s vision for my life will be carried out even when strength fails me or feel like I’m at the end of my rope.
Can you find the golden thread through any of your recent losses? Can you report a boosted ability to endure tough things? Having endured loss, do you recognize a strengthening of your intrinsic values? Has your personal growth strengthened your belief in Jesus who provides eternal hope? We can reframe even the most trivial things through the lens of scripture.