“Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.” (Pema Chodron, “When Things Fall Apart”)

 ^“No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:13)

When I came through a particularly difficult time in my last ministry, I found this quote from Pema Chodron and printed out a copy to put on my wall. It is a reminder to me that without trials and tribulations in our lives, we will never realize what our true strengths are. Sometimes it’s because of illness or death that we find ourselves in this place. We experience a sense of loss—loss of our loved ones, loss of our youth, loss of our life.

When things are shaky and nothing is working and we feel like giving up, if we persist we might realize that we are on the verge of something that is not going to destroy us, but make us stronger. Uncertainty is a very vulnerable and tender place to find ourselves, and that vulnerability can take us down many different paths. Yes, we can shut down and feel resentful, getting angry at everyone and every situation that reminds us of that vulnerability. Or we can touch the pain, the uncertainty and recognize it for the teaching moment that it is. In other words, we can lean into the vulnerability, not run away from it.

There is something interesting and exciting about being tested, and finding ourselves suffering groundlessness. When the earth feels as if it has been pulled out from underneath our feet, we should see it as a kind of testing, the kind of testing that activates our inner “spiritual warrior” – which is a call to awaken our hearts.

When we see the testing in our lives as an opportunity to find strength in our lives and strength in our faith, then we live with a renewed trust in G-d every day.

Pastor Dave

“So the next time you encounter fear, consider yourself lucky. This is where the courage comes in. Usually we think that brave people have no fear. The truth is that they are intimate with fear.” (Pema Chodron, “When Things Fall Apart”)

“Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’ ” Isaiah 35:4

“As uncertainty and groundlessness increase, as we lose control of external circumstances, we find ourselves with our backs to the wall. One response is to cower in the corner, hoping that chaos and suffering will just go away. But in our heart of hearts we know that will never happen. The alternative is to use this opportunity to start waking up.” (Pema Chodron, “When Things Fall Apart”)

In her book “When Things Fall Apart”, Pema Chodron talks about a friend of her who was dying of AIDS. She had the opportunity to talk with him before she left on a trip, and her friend told her that a such as he hated having this dreaded disease, he found it to be a great gift. He said, “Now every moment is so precious to me. All the people in my life are so precious to me. My whole life means so much to me.”

We hear in his words that something had changed in his thinking about death, about disease, and about his life. As he prepared for his death, the thing he had most feared had become his greatest gift. It was in his loss he gained his life.

We hear this and wonder how someone can see death as a gift. But as a pastor, I understand his perspective. Often, we take for granted the life we have — we become so consumed with surviving or getting along that the true gift of life becomes something we take for granted. When you have the opportunity to sit with someone who is dying, the conversation often goes to the appreciation for the life they have lived. And yet, from time to time, I hear the regrets – for lost opportunities, and for arguments and harsh words spoken.

Let’s not wait for our own impending deaths to wait to appreciate life. Instead, we need to see life as a blessing – all life – and all of the lives who intersect with our own. Tell the people around you how much you love and appreciate them every day. And, once in a while, let G-d know how you feel as well.

Pastor Dave