Take What You Get

In a world that holds so many choices, it is hard sometimes to simply take what we get. Perhaps there are other cultures that offer as much variation and opportunity as America does, I don't know. I've only lived in America and I've never even been off the continent. But it seems, at times, too many choices breeds discontent. We just can't seem to accept what we have and be grateful for it, good or bad. While sometimes we can and should change our situation, there are those times when we cannot, or should not.

Today's weather is a good example of a time when I need to simply accept my situation. It is the second day of spring and the temperature, at mid-morning, is struggling to get above zero. Really? After a long, cold winter (Minnesota-style) it seems a bit, well, unfair. The fact remains, however, that I have no control over the weather. I have to take what I get. The matter, then, has nothing to do with what I want, but of my attitude. Will I be as bitter as the biting temperature outside, that, according to the calendar, should be around 40 degrees? Or, will I be grateful for my situation? After all, the sun is shining.

I heard a saying once: The key to happiness is accepting misery. 

When I first heard that quote, I thought it seemed a bit off, strange. The more I thought about it, though, the more it made sense to me. When I am in a miserable situation that I cannot change, I have two choices:

Be miserable along with the situation, or, 

Accept the situation and carry on.

I find that when I am miserable with the situation, unwilling to accept it, wanting change, I am utterly unhappy and discontent with life. On the other hand, when I evaluate the situation as something I have no control over, and accept it as it is, I can carry on with life and enjoy many other things. Sometimes, surprisingly, I can even find joy in the miserable situation. 

During the Holocaust, there was a woman named Betsie ten Boom who was locked inside a prison camp in Nazi Germany. She was forever telling her sister, Corrie ten Boom, to give thanks in all situations. Corrie admittedly could not bring herself to give thanks for the body lice they had to live with in their barracks. How could anyone be grateful for a miserable situation like that! Horror! But Betsy was thankful for everything. She accepted her lot in life, no matter what, when she was in a situation she could not change. A prison camp in Nazi Germany had nothing to do with choice.

What Corrie found out later was the German guards were often going into the barracks and raping the women staying there. Interestingly, the guards avoided Betsy and Corrie's barrack. I'm sure you've guessed why: the lice! What a blessing something so disgusting turned out to be. Betsy accepted misery. She was right.

What situations do you find yourself in that you have no control over and cannot change. Perhaps it is a situation you could change, but know you should not. Whatever it is, consider the key to happiness. Acceptance, contentment, gratitude. Carry on.

ENCOURAGEMENT: Give thanks in all situations, you never know what good will come out of it.