Life is a journey and regardless of where you’re at, there’s always room to grow. When it comes to my spiritual gifts and talents, I’ve found out they have a price. Things I have to maintain and do as an upkeep so to speak. Suffice it to say I’ve learned a valuable lesson and won’t let it relapse again.
Two types of obstacles
There are basically two types of challenges or trials. Those that we bring upon ourselves and those that are placed upon us by the divine. Self-inflicted trials generally are a character issue and will always be present because of our imperfections. It’s the divine-sanctioned trials that are difficult for me to understand. Usually, you only learn the positive outcomes and net positives after the fact. Here I’m not mentioning trials caused by others, there’s a case to be made they are also self-inflicted, but we’ll exclude that for now.
Divine Intervention
I’ve also noticed that there is a lot of protection from the divine or rather fewer sanctioned trials for the people that draw nearer to that source. Overall I see fewer trials or at least less struggle. Not that it’s removed, but it seems less random and more guiding to the betterment of their lives. Well, just an observation.
This in rare instances has led to a strange personality trait. People drawing near to the source and being spoiled. Ignorant of their blessings and prestige but have become accustomed to a privileged lifestyle. Submitting to, cheerfully, their trials. A friend once told me that you can tell who will be great ones in life, those that have many divine trials. I got to say he had a really good point.
Self Inflicted
As for the self-inflicted trials, which are overwhelmingly the majority of trials, are usually a weakness of character. As long as you can take ownership of them, learn from them. You can correct a good portion of them. The real goal or what makes a difference is finding the positive results or outcome of what seems to be pointless suffering.
The idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy is all too real, people that seek suffering will find it. People that mildly hope can be pleasantly surprised. That’s a way to stop a downward spiral, hope something can change.
Analogy
Life is like a field. You often don’t choose the kind of soil where the earth lay. It may be stony or full of clay. But the field is what you make of it, you choose what to plant, how to tend to your field. Storms will come, there will be drought, and there will be times of plenty if you’re willing to do the work and trust in the process. The storms can bring moisture and the droughts can kill unwanted pests, or you can just lament and say woe is me, or get to work on making your life better.
Treat yourself well, like you would a love interest.