“Pay attention to the people God puts in your path if you want to discern what God is up to in your life.” ~ Henri Nouwen

People are complicated. We could go down one of two paths here but I recommend we go down both. People can be the blessings in our life that make it amazing and they can also be the reason we have so many challenges. It’s unfortunately not an either-or scenario but a both. And, as much as we want to eliminate these challenges, Nouwen is suggesting perhaps we should welcome them instead.

Welcome the challenges? Really? Maybe it will help if we look at life like an obstacle course filled with adversities. Are you going to quit when it gets difficult? Are you going to walk around the obstacle? Bypass the mud crawl? Are you going to quit? Heck NO! You’re going through because you know you will be a different person when you cross the finish line. You will be many things at the end but one will certainly be proud.

These people, who are the most challenging, are a blessing in disguise. They are a lesson for each one of us. They are the way in which we are being asked to grow. Can you look at them differently now? They are our obstacle course and we get to choose. This may be where another Nouwen quote comes in helpful: “You are the window through which others may glimpse God.” Choose accordingly.

With Gratitude,
Beth