Appreciating the Good After the Bad
By Jessica Brodie
Do you ever take things for granted? I certainly do, even though I never mean to. In a sense we probably all do. We take for granted that we can breathe or have a bed to sleep in, that we have certain relationships or physical abilities, that sort of thing.
Recently, my daughter started attending a small, private Christian school that is absolutely wonderful. She calls it her “dream school.” This has been a tremendous blessing both for her and our family because the last year in her life has been incredibly difficult, filled with major anxiety and depression. Even though I am a huge advocate of the public school system, I myself am a product of the public schools, and we happen to live in an outstanding school district, it just wasn’t working for her. She was getting lost in the noise and the chaos … and let’s face it, teenage girls can be mean and insensitive, and that’s not the easiest when you’re a sensitive girl yourself going through a hard time in life.
Recently I apologized to her, telling her I was so sorry I didn’t see the situation clearly in the past and that I wished she’d gone to this new, small, private “dream school” since kindergarten.
Her response gave me pause. She said, “Mama, if I had always gone to this school, I would probably not appreciate it as much. I would think this is how all schools are and how all people are. I wouldn’t be as grateful.”
As so often happens, her words brought an inherent truth I needed.
We are so blessed, all of us. This has nothing to do with our external circumstances. Whatever our situation, the fact that we are here, in these bodies on this earth right now, is a gift.
And then add onto the fact that we—regular people who are sinners by nature and can be so rotten to each other and so disrespectful to God—have been given the most extraordinarily generous extra gift by the Lord in the form of eternal salvation. That’s a blessing beyond our wildest expectations. As Jesus said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV).
God didn’t have to do this. God is God—He can do as He pleases. He made all things, including us, and has the ultimate, final say in everything. Yet God chose to do this not because of anything we did or are or can offer. We’re not owed salvation or entitled to it. God offers this simply because of who He is: merciful, good, loving, and compassionate.
Our salvation is a gift we are given. All we have to do is accept this gift, say yes, and it’s ours.
Some of us who have always known Jesus forget at times what a remarkable thing this is. Perhaps we take it for granted or expect it as “our due” because we are Christians. But think about it—what a gift. What a blessing! What an opportunity.
I love redemption stories. In fact, even though I’ve always known the Lord and belonged to Him, I’m a walking redemption story myself. There have been times in my life I have very much strayed from his path, and I’m thankful I’ve gotten back on it.
There is a stark and beautiful understanding and appreciation of how bright the light is when you are in a very dark room. Likewise, if we were walking a very dark time in the past and now walk with God in the light, we seem to appreciate it more because we remember how bad it was. How lonely we were. How dim things seemed. How hopeless we felt.
Sometimes we have to walk through the valley to appreciate the mountain. We must have the bad experience before we can truly appreciate the good.
My daughter fully appreciates her new situation because she remembers how hard it was for her a year ago.
Wherever you are today, I pray that you take a moment to appreciate anew the blessings you have in life. Whether it’s a family or clean water or a job you enjoy or a spouse you love, or the fact that you have breath in your lungs, meditate on the wonder that this is. Take some time to thank God and cherish your current existence.
God bless you!
