Encouragement

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There cannot be a single person in the world that does not occasionally have dark and gloomy thoughts. Nobody can tell what the future may bring forth, and there are some who will start the day fearing the worst and full of dread and foreboding. Maybe there will be a demanding interview, or a figure of authority to face, a difficult and unpleasant job to be done, or shopping to do, but in truth many of the things that we fear so much turn out to be far less daunting than we ever expected.

It is at times like these, or indeed at any time of the day, when we are feeling low and are in need of spiritual support, that it would be helpful to read some inspiring thoughts, words such as those from the Bible, or from Shakespeare or many of the other great writers who all understood the strengths and weaknesses of human nature. These ideas and thoughts have been passed down to us through the ages to soothe the anxious mind and to serve as an instrument to deepen our spiritual lives.

For example, consider these words from the American writer, George Macdonald: “Now I want you to think that in life troubles will come, which will seem as if they never would pass away. The night and storm look as if they would last forever; but the calm and the morning cannot be stayed; the storm in its very nature is transient. The effort of nature, as that of the human heart, ever is to return to its repose, for God is Peace.”

And what about this piece from John Burroughs: “I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see. The longer I live the more my mind dwells upon the beauty and the wonder of the world.”

One of the most uplifting quotes, and the favourite of many, are the words written by St. Francis of Assissi: “Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.”

Within every problem that we are faced with is a powerful opportunity to grow and to learn, for any trouble that arises is nothing more than a test of the spirit. Believe with all your heart and soul that your strength is increased by all the encounters with these difficulties, and that each new day we face will be blessed with fresh opportunities for the spiritual development of our character.

If we do this then we will be able to live with the unshakeable conviction that we have the power within us to emerge victorious, however dark and troubled the day may at first appear.

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