Pearl of the Day: The Obstacle Course of Life

"Whatever you do, you need courage.  Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong.  There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right.  To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs.  Peace has it's victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Obstacle courses are not easy things to get through.  They require a great amount of strength and endurance.  We each have a different set of obstacles for our own course in life.  We may be required to run, jump, crawl, climb, swim, and even maintain our balance as we walk through the challenges we face.  The main point of an obstacle course is to test ones abilities, speed, and endurance.  No matter the course, it's something no one else can do for us.  Life can definitely be an exhausting obstacle course to get through at times.

Some of the obstacles we go through are things not everyone will understand, no matter how much explaining we try to do.  Empathy only comes from walking in another person's shoes.  I've learned that there's nothing quite like personal experience to give you a deeper understanding when someone else is going through a similar situation.  Just as I have a deeper understanding and compassion for people who suffer with chronic pain issues because of the challenges of fibromyalgia I live with every day, each of us can relate on a deeper level with others who have been where we are. We all walk through our own unique set of challenges in this life, and having someone there who can relate to you and what you're going through can make all the difference in the world.

My older daughter is an example of someone who has had her share of challenges in the obstacle course of life.  She is only twenty years old, but she has already walked through so many difficult things up to this point.  She was diagnosed with a hearing loss when she was eleven years old, and suffered with serious vision problems before that.  She has a deeper understanding of the challenges this particular obstacle course presents.

As her mama, the things she has gone through have pierced my heart in ways I cannot explain.  I will be sharing a little more about that tomorrow, and she will be sharing some things with you on Wednesday because I have asked her to write a guest post about her journey with hearing loss.  Please be sure to stop back by for that.  Until then my friends, be blessed!


"We may run, walk, stumble, drive, or fly, but let us never lose sight of the reason for the journey or miss a chance to see a rainbow on the way." ~Gloria Gather