“All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”- Julian of Norwich

In your darkest, most frightening moments, what sustains you? What has you knowing that all is well?  For me, it is a deep spiritual faith which shows me daily that no matter what, I will overcome whatever limits I may face. Many God-talks have taken place over the years as relationship conflicts, health crises, financial challenges, deaths and other various losses have shown up. Life happening. Rarely did I feel like a victim, although I admit that I would sometimes invite myself to pity parties. I would  stay a short while when I realized I was the only guest there.

I question why things unfold as they do and it is only in retrospect that I can see the purpose of the pain. The toughest part has been when I have been immersed in it, floundering frantically. I have seen my faith as a life raft that keeps me from drowning.

What about those who don’t believe in a Higher Power or who see life as one series of challenges after another over which they fear they won’t triumph? They might put themselves out there into the world, hoping against hope that things will look better and perhaps they do, for a short time until the next wave hits and knocks them on their tush. They are sometimes on a dizzying ride that they don’t know how to exit.

There is someone close to me who lives that way and despite my best efforts to share ideas for confronting the naysaying voices continues to argue for his limitations. He ponders why he should bother being happy, since it will be taken away. I have encouraged him and countered the paradoxical belief that holds him hostage with the idea that being chronically unhappy will only fuel the fire.

What I have done today is turned the situation over to the God of my understanding, remembering that I have no control over the outcomes in my own life or any one else’s. My prayer is that this person find comfort in the Presence and light in the midst of darkness.