I saw a quote on a facebook meme yesterday, it said “When I understand everything happening to me is to make me more Christlike, it resolves a great deal of anxiety.” – A.W. Tozer. First, my critique…very little in life, if anything, “happens to you.” We are not victims of our lives, but curators. That doesn’t mean there are things beyond our control, most things are that, but it does mean that how you receive them, or not, is up to you. I prefer the idea of everything I’m going through.
Second, I’m embracing the sentiment of this quote. This is easier to apply to spiritual/mental/emotional realms. But if I can frame the physical ones this way too…there is so much opportunity for growth. Pain and illness, these are opportunities to learn to be gracious to myself and to others, to be more gentle. God knows, this is something I need.
And for the record, Christlike isn’t, for me, some goal of perfection. It’s more like slow and wise and connected and living into your calling. It’s drenched, intrenched, in the divine flow. At peace. Who doesn’t want more of that?
Katy Steinberg, MDiv 