Some of you may have heard of a guy named Job. He was famous in biblical times because he did all of the right things, loved God, and yet his life fell apart. He fell ill with painful boils on his body. He lost his wealth, his wife, and his friends who watched it happen encouraged him to curse God because of his change of fortune. 

But Job didn’t. He said that he must have done something to merit the problems. He took responsibility (even if he didn’t know what for) – and I suspect he probably worked really hard to turn things around and get back on his feet. In the end he ended up with wealth, health, a family, and material blessings that far surpassed what he’d had before.

If you’re in a situation like Job’s, don’t despair. Sometimes for reasons unknown (and sometimes due to past karma and things we don’t remember) we work hard, do the right things, love God and yet still experience hardships and misfortunes. One of my teachers, Sai Baba, said the wise spiritual seeker will experience both good fortune and bad with equanimity. Easy to say, but in my experience it’s not so easy to do when you’re down and despairing. But those same experiences shape our character and often bear more sweet fruit than we dare to imagine.

Consider Dr. Eben Alexander, author of “Proof of Heaven”. He suffered physical pain and debilitation, ended up in the hospital and his family thought he was dying. But during the experience he experienced total unconditional love. In the aftermath he has also deepened his relationship with his family and written a bestselling book.

So if you’re going through challenges, hang in there. Life may not always bring good times, but seek the gems in the experiences. They may bring unexpected joy.

Bio: Debra Moffitt is the award winning author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life and “Garden of Bliss”. A visionary, dreamer and teacher, she’s devoted to nurturing the spiritual in everyday life. She leads workshops on spiritual practices, writing and creativity in the U.S. and Europe. More at http://www.awakeintheworld.com and on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/DebraMoffittAwakeintheWorld