I Walked a Mile with Pleasure

In most instances we long to experience pleasure in life, because that’s what ‘feels’ good; however, the greatest lessons in life are rarely derived from pleasure. They’re derived from sorrow, pain, perhaps high hovering obstacles, or the long walks we that compose part of our journey. It is rare that we find triumph during downtrodden times, lessons learned are usually discovered after the pain has subsided as one reflects on what’s behind them. Browning’s poem ‘I Walked a Mile with Pleasure‘ paints the picture vividly.

I recall several years ago, immediately after my undergrad degree, I was ready for the world. Prior to graduating, I had already gained several years of experience in the field; so I expected to gain employment pretty quickly after graduation. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. It was ten months before I found traditional employment. The sadness that comes from not being able to sufficiently provide for one’s family is a horrible burden to bear. In addition, I had spent so much time, effort, energy, and tears into pursuing and obtaining my degree I felt as if I had failed myself, along with my loved ones.

However, there was an invaluable lesson that I discovered during that time, to trust God. Each month, one way or another, all my expenses were paid. My children never went hungry, my utilities stayed on, in fact the only luxury we had to cut out was satellite television. Even that was a blessing. I discovered how great Netflix was and went from paying $110 a month for television to roughly $15 per month (I haven’t looked back since). It was during that time that I found out what ‘give us this day our daily bread‘ meant. I got to the point where I understood, I needed God for everything, and my life required His help every single day. And now as I reflect on that time, I see things so clearly. There was a lesson that I had to grasp. That my help doesn’t come from man, it comes from God.

So whatever, obstacle you’re facing, look beyond your current emotions and feelings and see what knowledge, and understanding can be gained. You can buy a lot of things, but you can’t pay wisdom that is found during those times that try to break you, but are meant all along to make you.