Has it ever occurred to you that maybe, just maybe, all those little “lessons” that were crammed down our throats when we were growing up … that maybe, again just maybe, those little “lessons” were just a bunch of BS?

God doesn’t give us more than we can handle

I call bullshit. Big time. Here’s why … I’ve had plenty of moments throughout my life where I’ve “fallen off my bike” but gotten back up again. Plenty of times when I’ve dug in deep, found my resolution, and fought my way back. Tomorrow’s another day, blah, blah, blah. But. Without turning this post into sensationalism with too many gory details, just know I’ve been slammed into a few situations I never could have imagined. Situations where I had no idea what to do. Or, really, maybe I knew what I needed to do, but couldn’t find the courage to act.

So, God, if you’re listening, I really don’t appreciate this. Not one bit. Because as it turns out, I can’t handle it. And I’m afraid you’ve broken me. Congratulations. Laugh if you must, just know this … my faith is in the toilet, and I just flushed it.

That’s from a post I wrote seven years ago. In 2019, I hit a wall so hard I was sure it had shattered me. I wrote about losing faith, losing direction, and feeling like I’d reached the end of the road. But somehow, I kept moving. Revisiting that passage now, I can see the resilience I didn’t know I had—the kind that shows up only when everything else falls apart. This is a reminder that even when we feel burned down, we’re still capable of rising.

“The phoenix must burn to emerge.” ~ Janet Fitch

And so … my only advice to others, when it seems like you’ve reached the “end of the road,” try and be a bit like Dorothy and stop worrying so much about failure. Because it just takes one tiny bit of courage to rise from disappointment and turn what seems like failure into a mere setback.

COMMENT (from the original post, September 10, 2019): Sometimes … not always, or maybe always (depends on if we notice or not I suppose) our world is one big crap hole and maybe for that split second something or someone spectacular happens or comes into your life that wasn’t expected. Often times we are so blind to our “why me” that we miss the answer/the good thing/the ah ha moment. So, in my book (I have no book, rather my opinion) for every action there is a direct opposite reaction. What is horrible there must be something (not necessarily right away) good and perhaps incredible. Did we miss it? Is it still there? Is it still to come? Do we just give up? Hard to say I suppose, but I do know one thing … maybe two. That if we focus on the “why me” and perhaps the crap, we may not see or experience the moment(s) or that person who could help turn it all around. Keep your eyes open the Lone Ranger may yet save the day … and you could miss him.

Today’s post inspired by the WordPress daily prompt: What’s a moment that made you realize you were stronger than you thought? Cover image created with Google AI.