Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. – Ecclesiastes 7: 3

Just for a moment, imagine that you are a helium balloon and that sorrow is a heavy hand pressing down on you to the point where you’re about to pop.

And as you’re enduring the pain of being squashed, it seems like all the other balloons around you get to roll around freely on the ground without being restricted (no fair).

But when God removes that heavy hand of sorrow, you will glide high into the air and experience a life that the other balloons won’t have the capability or capacity to experience.

In many ways, sorrow has a profoundly refining influence on us.

For one, sorrow gives us the opportunity to develop an enriching relationship with God.

I can testify that when the only one we have to turn to is God, we get the opportunity to eyewitness jaw-dropping, unbelievable miracles.

And without sorrow, we can miss out on some seriously valuable and beautiful character traits:

• A deepened sense of empathy
• Heartfelt compassion
• Resilience and strength
• Unique insight
• The ability to effectively encourage and motivate others.

When we go from post-traumatic stress to post-traumatic growth, it’s almost as though all the pain we’ve experienced was 100% worth it.

Because when our time of mourning comes to a close, we experience an inner abundance that is too invaluable for words.

Be blessed,

Alexia

Prayer: God, help me to trust in you and you only when I endure moments of sorrow in my life. Help me to understand that though I suffer, I can rely on you to turn my situation around and plant seeds in my spirit that will yield a garden so beautiful, I can’t presently fathom it’s splendor. Hold my hand through trying times, and give me the strength to endure so I can experience what life feels like on the other side of suffering. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.