Can reminding myself that this too shall pass give me back my joy?

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Ecclesiastes 3:1 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.”

We’ve been to Orlando’s Disney World several times over the years, and we have taken various grandkids with us. While the kids all enjoyed it, the little ones are almost always asleep before we’re out of the parking lot. I’m usually the one looking over my shoulder and wishing we could stay just 15 minutes more. Good times never seem to last long enough.

On the other hand, the bad times seem to go on forever. I know time isn’t relative. Each hour has only sixty minutes, each day only 24 hours. But a day sure seems longer when your heart is broken, doesn’t it? While that’s probably true about everyone, it may be even truer for those of us whose hearts have been broken by someone we love.

Losses, heartaches and disappointments can rob us of the hope that things will get better. They can also leave us wondering whether there’s a purpose for our suffering. One thing that’s certain is that trouble is going to change us, and great trouble is going to change us greatly. And while we may not have a lot of choice about our circumstances, we alone have a choice about whether those circumstances will make us bitter or better.

One of the ways we can make sure our troubles make us better is to remember that nothing happens in our lives without a purpose. While you and I won’t always understand that purpose, we can say with confidence that God has a plan for our lives and that His plan is to “prosper us and not to harm us…to give us hope and a future.” (Jer 29:11) Regardless of what or whom you’ve lost, regardless of what or who has broken your heart…God is going to use it to do something wonderful in your life.

Another thing that will change our perspective when bad things happen is remembering that this is only a “season.” And because it’s only a time or season, it too shall pass. I understand there are some wounds we never totally recover from, some scars we will carry for a lifetime. And I’m not suggesting you and I will ever totally forget those things.

But there will come a time when we will laugh again, when we will rejoice again, when we will hope again. Just as there’s a time to weep, there’s also a time to laugh; and just as there’s a time to mourn, there’s also a time to dance. (Eccl 3:4) As sure as the sun comes up and the world turns, the good times will come for us again. In the meantime, one of the ways we’ll get better rather than bitter is by asking God what we can get out of this rather than how we can get out of it.

Reminding ourselves that “this too shall pass” will give us the courage to hang on. And remembering that God is going to use this sorrow to prosper us and give us hope and a future will give us back our joy.

Challenge for Today: What might happen if we, just for today, reminded ourselves that “This too shall pass?”