Shuck: Taking what's left over and making it enough

“I’ve lost it all,” we say, and our shoulders drop and we panic.Waves of despair wash over us. Rachael’s child failed to graduate from high school, Jim lost his business and Carol was fighting cancer. There are so many hard luck stories that it’s impossible to count or mention all of them.

We feel that we have lost the mainstays of our lives when a child dies, a parent is forced into a nursing home because he/she can no longer care for themselves, and we’ve become bankrupt financially. Our home is gone and our friends have left us because we could no longer contribute to their joy and happiness--a condition of human nature. If we recall Christian Scripture, we know that the same scenario occurred in the life of Jesus. When He failed to agree with those around him, they became his enemies and the same is happening today! ”Remember the word that I said to you. A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me they will also persecute you” (John 13:16). In the end, Jesus triumphed and so will we.

People often give up rather than cut their losses and see what they have left, and we ask, “Is everything really gone,” My answer is “No” everything is never truly gone. We only have to look and see what’s still useful, and what’s still left lying around the edges of the pile of rubble that we now see in front of us. John and Mary Williams went through a traumatic financial ordeal. The couple had recently purchased a commercial building. Their hopes were high that the venture would be successful in attracting businesses to fill the spaces inside. This would be a wonderful way to assure that John and Mary would have enough to comfortably provide for their family. The two were fortunate to rent the whole building to one establishment, immediately. “Wow,” they both said, and each breathed a sigh of relief at their good fortune. As the couple slept that first night, before signing the lease with the new tenant, their coveted dreams turned to chaos and disarray. An enormous storm tore through the sight of the property and the building was left in shambles, unfit for occupation. The owners were shocked, frightened, and at a loss as what to do. After cleaning up, and repairing the shattered wreckage, they consulted with qualified experts on how to move forward with the seemingly impossible undertaking. They had invested their savings into the project so it had to work. John and his wife refused to retreat and after much work, tears, capital and help from friends and family, the property was, finally, brought back up to standards and became profitable for them. Although, all had seemed hopeless, the couple prayed, and kept trying. They felt that they had much to learn from the experience. God had taught them to stay strong knowing that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew19:26).

The story is a true example of how we can take something that seems like an irreparable dilemma and turn it into an unmistakable gift. We do this by looking at the situation from all angles and asking what is left that we can use, what different perceptions can we adopt, and who can offer advice and help? We need to accept the offers of assistance and love from others. There are many that genuinely feel good about themselves when we allow them to be there for us when we are in trouble—either emotionally or psychically. Rather than to feel sorry for ourselves we must “take the bull by the horns” and deal with whatever we ought. Without the struggle from which we’ve learned and lived through, we will not grow. By fighting back at the bad that life hands to us, we develop inner strength to rise again when we fall another time.

When our situations and outlook becomes tarnished and bleak, we have to find out what is lurking in the shadows that we can salvage. What can we build with w/hat’s left over? We will find that the trash contains the diamonds that we’re looking for and they’re enough to complete what we now need.

Ellen Shuck holds degrees in psychology, religious education and spiritual direction. She is the author of the book, “Wisdom for the Journey.”