Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed.... --Joshua 1:9
It has been said when we are at the end of our rope, we can do one of three things: let go, tie a knot and hang on, or splice the rope and begin again. Whenever we feel there's nowhere to go but down and nobody to turn to, that's when we can start all over again. If we can learn to look beyond the end of something, we'll always see an exciting, fresh beginning.
At the end of every storm is calm. At the end of every argument is silence. At the end of one relationship there is another. Although life is composed of many endings, there are just as many new beginnings. "Life goes on" is even assured by the passage of time - at the end of each minute there's another.
Nights may have many endings, but they will also have just as many beginnings. Just as the sun will set, so the moon will rise and the stars will appear. Just as the day's activities will end, so the evening's activities will begin. And when those activities are over, there will be new experiences the next day.
I can be unafraid of endings because I know they are only the first half of beginnings.
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
I really enjoyed reading this. I have found that I can be much more forgiving of myself if I look at life as a neverending series of little beginnings and endings, as opposed to one huge length of time. It certainly makes life seem much more managable. It helps in the context of staying sober, it helps in the context of compulsive eating (something else I have struggled with), and it helps in the context of thinking about my past and the lessons I have learned broadly. I suppose this is the wisdom of One Day at a Time. I have found that forgiveness is essential when it comes to my recovery, and in coping with life's challenges in general. I think that part of cultivating forgiveness is what this quote embodies: that there will always be a new start. We just have to be ready to catch and made the best of it.
Thanks for sharing.
-Adam
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When every situation which life can offer is turned to the profit of spiritual growth, no situation can really be a bad one.-Paul Brunton