It’s hard to be grateful for a painful experience. But we should try to be.

Of course, it’s easier said than done!

Ultimately though, everything is a learning experience, regardless of whether it’s pleasant or painful. And if we learn all we need to from our experiences, we will not need to go through them again. 

Dr. George King explains in a lecture from 1959:

“I’ve met some whose lot through life has been pretty hard all the way round, and yet they may have grumbled a little but, really, they do thank God, and have thanked God, for the great opportunities of these particular experiences, which, if lived through correctly will never have to be endured again. Whether they are good or bad ones. So-called pain, or so-called happiness, they will never have to be lived through again if lived through correctly the first time.”

Having this outlook on our experiences helps in different ways. 

Firstly, it helps us see the big picture. We can look at an experience and try to determine what the lesson it is trying to teach us is. 

By doing this, we are more able to detach from the emotion of the experience. We take it less personally. 

Secondly, it makes us look at the situation more positively – as an opportunity for growth – which in turn will help us get through it.

***

I try not to dwell on the past, but I do find it helpful to look back and see situations in a different light. 
I remember a time when there was a change taking place in my life that I did not want. 

I felt helpless. I felt unheard. There was nothing I could do to stop this change from taking place. 

Since it was out of my hands, I needed to change my way of thinking so that I could be more accepting of it. So I tried to think about it from the decision maker’s point of view. 

They had a difficult choice to make. I was glad that I was not the person who had to make the call. Realizing this made me feel differently about the situation. 

Change is never easy and I realized everybody was just doing the best they could with the information they had. We were all on the same team. 

Taking this perspective calmed the whole situation for me. I was able to not just accept the change, but embrace it. 

As it turned out, it worked out for the best. The change, though difficult, worked out well and my relationships with everyone involved improved.

Something you can try

The Prayer for Spiritual Workers is a prayer given by the Master Jesus to help us along our path of experience. It can be really helpful when times are tough.

“Say this prayer with your heart and with your soul, when the world is cold to you-and you will be warmed. Say it when you are down-and you will be lifted. Say it when you are alone-and you will be comforted by a presence. Say it when you fail-and you will succeed. Say it when you die-and you will live. Say it so that you may gain sufficient power and strength to do greater things.

“You can listen to the Master Jesus give this prayer on our streaming service, Aetherius Cloud. 

Have you ever had a situation where you felt that gratitude helped you? Please feel free to reply to this email and let me know about it.