It’s darkest before dawn

difficult periods that it will all come to pass.
The greatest challenge, however, is to make sense of such words of hope when our world tells a different story. Life is a package that has bad and good times.
There are ups and downs along life’s path. The road can either be straight or undulating, wide or narrow.
We climb mountains and walk in valleys or deserts.
Each portion along life’s path is a passing phase.
I believe that the bad and good times together help to strengthen, harden and encourage us. Every experience in life has life lessons that should make us better people.
What determines what we become is the way we respond to these experiences.
We might choose to cut corners and take short cuts but will soon realise that we have to go over that again.
We can choose to remain in the valley with all its discomforts through focusing on how insurmountable the challenges are.
The biblical David chose to see Goliath as the “uncircumcised Philistine” not the big fearful giant who sent men of Israel scampering for cover. 
He focused on his competencies and drew strength from his experiences of shepherding the flock and trusting in his God, far greater than the giant.
The times that life throws us in the valley are times to sharpen our competencies and develop other qualities that would not normally come through.
Valley experiences are times to be still so our perceptions are not clouded.
If we are still in adversity as Psalm 46 verse 10 urges, if we trust in a power greater than ourselves we become better. There are times when life is so kind and generous to us such that everything around us is easy going.
These are the times when we are in good health, family relations are good, the pocket is fat, work is fine, favour is abound wherever you go and all is just fine. It is human nature to wish that these good times roll. It is during such times that we relax, have peace of mind and thrive physically, mentally and socially.
Often such times are so good that we tend to forget what brought us there in the first place. Whatever it was, it usually becomes bothersome.
If it was through prayer it becomes a burden and we find ourselves praying less and less. Usually it takes a shake up to remind us of those basics that brought us that far.
It is life’s valleys and deserts that are very challenging because the journey is usually lonely with very little or no hope at all. It can seem unending and is rather quiet and hopeless. It is like there is never going to be a better tomorrow.
As people grapple to keep their heads above water they hang on to whatever is within reach. It is therefore not surprising that we see posters on the walls that say “hard times never kill.”
Problems manifest it various ways in our lives. There are times when the world around us seems to be either collapsing or at a standstill in all aspects of our lives.
The picture is worse when we look across the road and see that fate seems to favour our neighbour. You wonder what is wrong with you and whether it will ever come to an end (zvinopera rini?).
Often it does not make much sense when people tell you that it will pass.
Sometimes we become hopeful and pray that the situation turns around. We look for even a glimmer of light but none seems to break forth.
It takes a great deal of faith to see the flicker of light in the dark cloud that hovers above us.
It is through faith that we can change the way we perceive our situations and subsequently the way we deal with these challenges.
We might discover that as we try to do something and remain hopeful ugly reality looks us in the face and makes the situation more oppressive. I am reminded of the children of Israel under Pharaoh.
When Moses went to Pharaoh to seek the release of the Israelites their situation became worse.
Where they used to be given straw to make bricks they were made to look for their own straw. In the same way our situations can become more oppressive as we try to do something about it. Out of fear therefore we sit back and surrender to fate.
Yet when things like that happen know that your breakthrough is near. Consider these as birth pains to bring forth new life Also it may appear easier to hold on to our problems as we think that our situations are beyond redemption.
There is story that is often told of a mountain climber who fell off a mountain.
As he tumbled down he was fortunate enough to get hold of a rope before he hit the ground. The man held on to the rope for his dear life.
As he called out for help a voice told him to let go of the rope but he could hear none of that.
He was found dead the next day from the cold just a metre from the ground.
Imagine what story this man would have lived to tell had he let go of the rope. There is nothing new under the sun.
What you and I are going through today will come to pass. We will one day look back and find them no more.
It is all a passing phase for mourning can endure for the night but joy will come in the morning.