God continually floors me with the amount of support and conversations this blog brings me. I really can’t say it enough. Thank you for everyone who reads it and thank you for everyone who reaches out to me. [Obviously I can’t say it enough, as I mention it every other blog.]
I vowed to not write about or comment on Captivating until I have finished it. And I won’t. But I want to address the concept of getting challenged.
Culturally, societally, we view challenges as good and necessary things. Positive things, even, which lead to immense growth in the long run while seeking impossible and harmful in the short term. I know I often thrive on challenges. I pursued endurance sports to push myself and see how far my body could make it without breaking. I always attempted for the best grades- mediocre was never enough for me. I have to admit to you all, there’s a small (VERY small) part of me that is excited to take the MCAT just because it’s a huge academic challenge and I want to see how I do
A lot of people have a lot of wisdom about the growth that comes from facing challenges.
“I don’t run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run towards it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your foot.” Nadia Comaneci
“Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” Chinese proverb
You get the picture- challenges are good, they make you grow. This is what we all believe.
Today, I found myself wondering if a challenge could actually bad, rather than this opportunity for growth I’ve been led to believe. Are all challenges good? Do they all lead to character and spiritual growth?
I honestly don’t know. I know that reading this book has forced me to view myself, my upbringing, and the world around me in an entirely different frame of mind, and that this is definitely one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever faced, but I can’t honestly say it’s a good challenge.
[Although realistically, can you say something is positively challenging until you’re reflecting on it post hoc? Maybe not. But if that’s the case, then every challenge would have to be positive, because negative ones would kill us and refuse our attempt at reflection. But this could be a discussion for another day.]
I suppose my biggest concern is that I can’t tell if my discomfort in this challenge stems from reasons grounded in truth, or grounded in pride. And I have this tendency of wanting to “figure it out” before taking it to God. But obviously, growth and learning won’t come from hiding in a box. So. Forward we move.