Temporary

Temporary

Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

FEELING SENTIMENTAL THE OTHER DAY, I read through old emails I sent Gram, my husband’s grandmother, more than a decade ago. She passed not long after meeting our oldest daughter, but in the early years of our marriage she was a bright, steady presence.

Scanning them, I was struck by the number of times I complained, usually about work. In the first year of our marriage, my job was a frequent point of contention. My husband was gone Sunday through Thursday, and I often worked weekends, so it was difficult to find time to be together. Despite the scheduling issues, I loved that job. But in my emails, I sounded like a leaky faucet. Bemoaning a crummy schedule. Drip. Analyzing something a boss said. Drip. Expressing frustration (envy, more likely) about someone else’s duties. Drip. Complaining about a recent hire’s better hours. Drip. They were mostly petty, but Gram treated each grievance with kindness and wisdom.

My dad has often said the words “this too shall pass.” While I rolled my eyes as a teenager, age has made me more aware of the wisdom of that statement. Those dirty diapers and endless nights of crying babies? Long gone. My husband’s neck problems and subsequent surgery? Thankfully, a thing of the past. The long hours spent doing homework for grad school? Finished, as well. All of those circumstances felt endless and challenging in the moment—and they were—but they were also temporary. And in most cases, upon reconsideration, I can only recall the good parts, the valuable lessons.

Recognizing that our troubles are most likely temporary doesn’t diminish the pain or stress they cause, but it does help us place them in context. When we can see our current circumstances through the lens of eternity, we’ll be empowered to persevere. And maybe, someday, we’ll even look back with gratitude.

Lord, thank you that your eternal glory will always outweigh our temporary troubles. Help us to hold on to that truth on the hard days. Amen.

-Kristin

One Good Thing: Write a short list of challenges that you’ve experienced. Thank God for the ways he worked in you and through you during those times.