By Tina Goode, Refuge Intern
A friend recently flew up North to attend a cousin’s wedding. The wedding took place in a lovely lakeside location in the Pennsylvania countryside. The return flight to Nashville originated in a small regional airport near the wedding site. My friend arrived at the airport, checked her bag and boarded the plane for the scheduled departure. A great ending to a great weekend…until the passengers were asked to de-plane.
Anticipating a minor delay, my friend was confident that she would make the following flight if not her original connection. Dinner was served by the airline and flights rebooked for 5:45AM the following morning. A fog delay prevented the early morning departure and numerous routing changes were required to get my friend back home over 24 hours later than planned without her luggage. Meeting her at the airport, she looked tired but relatively calm and serene. “How did you manage?” I asked. “I just rolled with the punches” she responded.
The Serenity Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi states “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” While airline travel is trivial compared to many of the challenges we all face in life, our ability to control the outcome is often similar. Unexpected events often change the direction or dreams we had for our future.
The health changes of a loved one, the downsizing of a company resulting in job loss, or the behavior of another person are all situations that are often beyond our ability to control. Yet often we struggle when faced with these challenges thinking that somehow we failed to do something that would have changed the outcome.
Greater peace may be found in understanding that there are times when we have done all we can do and that the situation is truly out of our control. Support and connections to others can help us to navigate the sadness and grief so often experienced during times of challenge.
For help during a period of challenge, consider The Refuge Center. Call us at (615) 591-5262 or visit our website at http://therefugecente.wpengine.com/.
