Maybe you’ve said it yourself (or at least thought it). “What is WRONG with my husband? Why does he continue to struggle? How long do I have to worry and wonder about how he’s REALLY doing? Why can’t he grab hold of this recovery thing and get us off this roller coaster of pain?”
YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE ASKING THESE QUESTIONS
Over the years many of the participants in our recovery groups have expressed their frustration with the ups and downs of recovery. The common theme has been something like: “Why does this have to be so hard. Why doesn’t God just take it away when I pray?”, “I just don’t get the point of all this struggle. What is wrong with ME that it’s taking me so long to “get it?”
What they don’t understand is . . . that maybe, just maybe, there is NOTHING wrong them. Maybe the struggle is part of God’s plan.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m certainly not saying that God WANTS your husband to be controlled by addiction. He has come to make us free in every way, but quick isn’t always best in the long run.
GROWTH OFTEN COMES IN THE STRUGGLE
The truth is, we seldom learn from the easy, breezy, experiences in our lives. It is more often the difficult challenges and “hard stuff” that change and refine us.
We recently ran into a quote from Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, who is well-known for her work with dying people, that sums it up well:
“The most beautiful people we have known
are those who have known defeat,
known suffering, known struggle,
known loss and have found their way out of the depths.
These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity,
and an understanding of life that fills them with
compassion, gentleness and deep loving concern.
Beautiful people do not just happen.”
Beautiful people make this world a better place for all of us.
If you’re in a tough spot right now or if you’ve become exhausted and frustrated by the process, we encourage you to just hang on a little longer!
Even though you see no end in sight—take it from people that have been there—it won’t always be this difficult. In time, you’ll BOTH be better and stronger (and more beautiful) because you persevered through this battle!
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4
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