As I said in my 06/28/2022 post, the labyrinth at White’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Southlake, TX was one of my top three favorites labyrinths. It was also one of the few that provided what I call a ‘double play’, meaning I received three lessons walking it in, and three lessons walking it out.
The lessons from my walk into the labyrinth can be found in part one of Double Play: The Road You Must Travel.
Today’s lessons are those that I received walking it out on December 3, 2021 around 4:25 p.m.
There is beauty in pain.
Initially, this was a really hard concept to wrap my mind around.
In my heart, it immediately made absolute and perfect sense. Logically, however, it was both unfathomable and unacceptable to me.
After all, if it’s beautiful, it should bring joy and happiness, NOT pain, right?
I had to spend some time thinking this through and asked myself, “What DOES beauty in pain look like?” I came up with two answers, though I am sure others may come to mind for you.
- Empathy. Being able to empathize with someone’s pain is a beautiful act of selflessness.To be fully present with someone who is going through pain, to acknowledge and immerse yourself in their suffering rather than avoiding or diminishing it is a beautiful gift.
- Growth. Another way to recognize the ‘beauty in pain’ is to remember that we often experience positive growth from negative situations. Lessons learned the hard way are often the ones that propel us into new and wonderful opportunities that change out lives for the better.
Don’t get me wrong- I don’t know that I will ever be the one to cheerfully rush into pain for the ‘beauty’ that might be gained, but understanding the beauty in pain can be a helpful anchor in difficult times.
Everything you want is within reach if you’ll just reach for it.
This was my reminder not to let pride, fear or insecurity prevent me from pursuing what I want, or asking for the help I need.
Sometimes, reaching out and taking someone's hand is the beginning of a journey. At other times, it is allowing another to take yours.
You can choose to step over the little valleys, rather than walking through them.
Sometimes I allow myself to get bogged down in inconsequential matters.
It’s like the difference between stomping in every puddle and then complaining about getting my clothes and shoes wet versus just stepping over the puddle and moving on.
Not everything has to be an ordeal to be experienced.
I could translate this a lot of different ways.
“Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.”
“Don’t sweat the small stuff.”
“Pick your battles.”
The messages seemed clear to me, but I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.
