Embracing Struggles: Lessons on Growth and Gratitude
6/24/20262 min read
Another Struggle, Another Lesson
Well, I'm sitting in the Social Security office right now. They're taking away my benefits because they say I'm no longer disabled. This has never happened to me before.
I had to fill out a form and drop it off in the drop box. I knew how important it was, but I didn't act on it when I first thought about it. Then I lost the paperwork, and today is the last day to turn it in.
Things like this always seem to happen to me. If I focus on it too much, it ruins my day, and I forget about everything else that's important. The reality is that I will have to live with these struggles for the rest of my life.
But you know what? That's okay.
It's just another struggle that can help get me to Heaven a little quicker. Every challenge is an opportunity to grow in patience, humility, and trust in God. So instead of being angry, I'm choosing to be grateful.
Last night, I had another realization.
It's been very hard for me to stop talking to girls online. Looking back, it hasn't made me a better father. It hasn't helped me get my chores done. It hasn't brought anything positive into my life.
At the end of Confession, we are called to avoid the near occasions of sin. It finally dawned on me that using the internet to meet women has become a near occasion of sin for me.
These sites always seem to find a way back into my life. Through Google searches, emails, advertisements, and subtle distractions, they slowly pull me back in. Before I know it, I'm wasting time and attention that should be spent on things that truly matter.
No more.
Today, I am making a commitment to be a new man. I want to keep my eyes focused on Heaven, just as we all should. God wants every one of us to come home to Him.
I've made this commitment before and forgotten about it. That's why writing about it is important for me. Sharing it with all of you helps keep me accountable. Writing has become a form of therapy, and now I have readers who encourage me to keep moving forward.
So I just want to say thank you. Thank you for reading, for supporting me, and for helping me become a better man.