Joyful Struggle - Episode 2
Lauren shares with us the challenges of finding joy in a difficult family time. Hard times can lead to searching for the good that can come out of it. So it's a struggle but you can find some joy. Maybe not right away but eventually.
I am thankful for my struggle, because without it I would not have stumbled upon my strength.
― Alexandra Elle
The Unexpected
Thoughts from a Joyful Struggle
I got an unexpected text from Lauren who asked if she and her boyfriend could stay with us for a few days while they were in town. Of course we said yes and looked forward to our time together.
Early on in the visit she shared that her parents were getting divorced. They have been married over 30 years. This is one of those couples that you would put on a list of People Who Will Be Married Forever. It was very surprising and even shocking. Aside from my own astonishment I was concerned for how their six children were coping with their parents breaking up, living apart. As you can imagine six different people of varying ages will handle things differently. And so the unexpected had happened.
What impressed me so much was how Lauren was wrestling with it all. Sad, yes. Disappointed, yes. Frustrated. Angry. Yes and yes. But there was more. There was acceptance, forgiveness and a level of understanding I found remarkable for someone in her early twenties. She had chosen to continue being her best self, to pursuing goals in her career and in love, being a strong sister to her siblings, all without apology.
That is my takeaway from the episode Joyful Struggle. 1) Wisdom isn’t always connected with age. 2) You can look for joy in any situation, and at any time. Find me someone who hasn’t struggled in some way and I think we will find someone who hasn’t fully lived or who hasn’t developed depth of character. Great things, worthwhile things, require toil. And Lauren knows this. She is clear on her worth. (She knows it isn’t defined by her parents’ marital status.) May we all remember how valuable we each are. Because we are. You are.
Joy is a decision, a really brave one about how you are going to respond to life.
— Wess Stafford
