Is it a blessing or a Tragedy? Like that childhood book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst is that monumental something good, or is it bad? Time and time again, life has shown that what first appears as a tragedy ultimately becomes a blessing in disguise.
Something Bad Becoming Something Good
Over the past couple of years, the concrete steps to the front door of our house have begun to crumble. They have become a safety hazard, so this past summer, we removed them. Something bad. Once we eliminated the steps, they exposed the condition of the buffalo board beneath our fieldstone façade. Mold and decay riddled the board. If the steps had not crumbled, we would not have needed to remove them. We would have remained unaware of the unhealthy and insecure condition of that baseboard securing the stones.
To remedy the situation, we hired a local company to take down and redo the front façade of our house, and our blessings from that one tragedy of crumbled steps continued. They broke apart the stone frontage and ripped off the support board beneath it, only to reveal that the front wall of our home was void of no insulation. The contractor installed insulation and a water barrier wrapping over the new support board. Then, with the expertise of an artist, he built up, one stone at a time, a new frontage of river rock, which we preferred over fieldstone.
Due to the simple fact that our steps crumbled, what some may call a tragedy, our home is now free from accumulated mold and much better insulated. We also have the added benefit of river rock over fieldstone, a change we would not have made without discovering the need to take down the original front. That one “bad” occurrence turned into multiple blessings.
Blessing or Tragedy
Our loving Savior created life to happen often this way. In my last blog post, How to Find Blessings out of Tragedy, I wrote more on this topic. https://crystalmmhuntley.com/2024/11/how-to-find-blessings-out-of-tragedy/. In 2011, the abusive man I committed my life to for twenty-six years returned home one day, demanding I meet him the following day. He said he would have a lawyer with him and papers I was to sign, giving him power of attorney authority over every aspect of my life, and that he would place me in a home for the mentally inept.
My heart pounded in fear as I took in his threat. The instant his truck drove out of sight, I grabbed a suitcase, began packing, and called a neighbor, asking her to take me to a shelter for abused women. This outlandish tragedy became the catalyst for my escape. I remained in this shelter for six months, a crucial stepping stone in finding my freedom. If not for that tragic incident, I probably would not be where I am today, far away from that abusive man and living a blessed life where I am loved and cherished.
Life Rises from Ashes
Often, dreams we invest a lifetime in never manifest. Instead, they burn into a pile of ash. When this happens, you have an alternative to falling into despair—Look to the future with expectancy. Beautiful life frequently arises from the ashes of our shattered dreams. Take, for example, the giant sequoias that grow on the Western Coast of the United States. They are but one of multiple species of tree that require the extreme heat of fire for their pinecones to burst open, disperse their seed, and germinate. The fire’s smoke and increased temperature are necessary to raise these seeds out of dormancy and bring new life. What fires have risen you out of dormancy, catapulting you into new life?
Isaiah 61:3 (MEV) states this concept beautifully. “To preserve those who mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.”
Turning Bad into Good
We all have the opportunity to turn something bad into something good. As revealed in many of my former posts, the father who raised me abused me in multiple ways. I remember him sitting by the fireplace Christmas morning wrapped in his wool, red plaid bathrobe. After my father had passed on some years back, my mother handed me a box. Nestled Among the many items representing our past was that robe. At first, I wanted nothing to do with his bathrobe, but then inspiration hit me. I cut it into pieces and made Christmas stockings for loved ones from the old fabric, turning something that caused me to cringe into something I now cherish. You can use this same concept on anything. What painful element from your past with new life breathed into it can become a blessing?
Let Life’s Tragedies Become Blessings
As we face the monumental shift in governmental power, many wrestle with feeling fear and despair. God’s plans are grander than we can realize. Even in our darkest moments, our Savior’s love never leaves us. Give thanks for our trials, for they can become blessings in disguise. They keep us from becoming stagnant and indifferent. They rev up new energy within us that we can use for beneficial change. I recently heard of a Harvard research study, www.bbc.com/future/article/20190513-it-only-takes-35-of-people-to-change-the-world, that proved that it takes only 3.5% of the population to invoke change. This minute percentage required means that even in your darkest hours, you can become a shining star and bring light to the world. I challenge you to stand proud and let your light shine.
To see more Crystalisms, go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/1360983917796761.
Note To My Readers
I invite you to join me on my next post as we honor Christmas.
Hopefully, you have gained value from this blog post. If you have, I would like to offer you the opportunity to purchase my books. You can purchase The Hidden Diamond and Robin’s Gift here at BUY THE BOOK – Crystal MM Huntley.
Christmas Sale!!
Check out my Christmas offer when you purchase my books from https://bizybookstore.com!
An additional site where you can find my books is https://bkbookshoppe.com. However, if you prefer to purchase from Amazon, you will find The Hidden Diamond at http://www.amazon.com/The-Hidden-Diamond-Crystal-MM-Huntley/dp/1665573767 and Robin’s Gift at https://www.amazon.com/Robins-Gift-Crystal-MM-Huntley/dp/B0CVL7746N.
Each purchase of my books supports my mission to break the chains of abuse. Once you have read either of my books, feel free to leave a review on the site you purchased from. Your review will encourage others also to seek out the path of healing.
Alexandra All souls are priceless no matter their past. A personal reason to testify. Assure myself with a pep talk. Boundaries Breaking Out Breathe into the space of peace. Complex CPTSD Continue to write for God. Difficult people can become a catalyst for growth. Discover My Newest Post Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Forgiveness Free Giveaway From Robin’s Gift God chooses. Grace Enters Hope How I got out of the wheelchair. Installing Healthy Boundaries Invite Keep up the good work. Master New Skills My Mission My Story No meaningful journey exists without pitfalls. Note To My Readers Resources Robin’s Gift Robin’s Gift – A Sneak Peak Share my healing journey. Taboo topics have infiltrated people. Take the Challenge Thank you. The Behind Story The Hidden Diamond Transcend into healthy boundaries. Upcoming Posts We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know. Why I Write Writing Is My Passion Writing Mirrors Life You Are Worthy! Your Gain “When I am weak then I am strong.”
