Blessings in disguise!

“Some of our disappointments end up becoming our biggest blessings. They are just hidden behind a mask”

Sianne C

I was sitting in my room trying to catch up with the messages that piled up on my phone and as I was about to finish replying to a friend, who didn’t initially get what she was hoping for, I rounded up the conversation by saying ‘sometimes disappointments end up being one of our blessings’.

After sending that last message, I thought to myself, what exactly does ‘blessing’ mean? So I googled the definition and a list of different meanings for ‘blessing’ came up:

If you ask me what the word ‘blessing’ means to me, I would say it is anything or anyone who adds value, positivity and joy to one’s life. I was amazed when the majority of the definitions represented something spiritual. Although we can’t see it, everything in this life is timely. Things have already been set out in a manner that is beyond our comprehension. We all are perfectly made and are each designed for a specific purpose in this world. It’s just a matter of time before we fulfil our specific purposes.

To activate those blessings, sometimes we will go through trials and tribulations, experiences and tests that will really shake our faith, which in turn, shape and mould us for something greater that awaits us! These tough training we go through in life aid in strengthening and equipping us for the new season we will enter. This may include rejections, demotions, strains, heartbreak/losses etc. Do they sound disappointing? Yes. Is it the end of the world? No. Does that stop you from reaching your goals? No. Why? Because as one door closes, another one will open and you will be shocked by what you’ll be greeted with on the other side.

Unfortunately, some lessons learnt may come in the form of tragedy and may be overwhelming and more challenging than others, but don’t be disheartened and never compare! What a person goes through may be too heavy for you to carry. As many of us have heard before, what some people go through is what they can handle. Many hardships we hear has us thinking “my goodness, I don’t think I would have been able to handle that or cope” and you may be correct! That’s why I say take pride in what life throws at you. The good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly cause a shift in our lives and redirect us towards something different. You may view it as a loss or a failure and very much a disappointment, but just because it hurts, it does not mean it’s supposed to destroy us. It is supposed to help shape our perspective and see things differently- to look at the bigger picture. It’s how we respond – our reaction to these events that make or break us. Some of these disappointments require us to make drastic life decisions and sacrifices, and some require us to walk away from places we are comfortable in, and the people we have attachments but when it is time for a change, IT IS TIME TO CHANGE. Change is inevitable.

Every ‘failure’, disappointment and loss is character-building. It gives birth to wisdom, internal strength and resilience. View this as a ladder. This ‘disappointment’ can be used to propel you as you progress in life. We can receive these hidden blessings if we continue to work hard, persevere, have faith and examine them differently.

Quick story/testimony:

I remember when I desperately wanted to go to 2 universities. I was offered a place at my first choice, but [un]fortunately, because spaces in child nursing were full, they offered me a place in adult nursing, which I respectfully declined. The 2nd university I wanted to reject me as soon as my A-Level results dropped. Yes, I was devastated, dumbfounded and extremely embarrassed. I was so stressed that I lost my appetite for a week. I cried and felt like the biggest loser and failure in the world! Although my grades weren’t bad, it was enough to make me feel stupid and believe that my ‘hard work’ was a waste of time. But I was still determined to get into university and fast forward a week, I was offered a place at my current university and to say that I am beyond grateful is an understatement. I sincerely believe that the opportunities that I received now would have been almost scarce had I gone somewhere else or even given up! Initially, I saw everything that occurred as a massive disappointment and a curse, but it resulted in a blessing I never knew existed. This changed my perception of let-downs and setbacks. What is meant to be, will be and sometimes, things don’t always work out in our favour because there is something better waiting for us. If what we want is given to us now and easily, will we appreciate it? Will the other benefits that we were actually meant to receive, come? MAKE SURE TO COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS AND NAME THEM ONE BY ONE.

I say this to reiterate that yes, life can be a challenge but not everything in it has to be complicated. Stay strong, continue to persevere, fight through, carry on with [other] things and learn not to compare yourself to other people, so that our blessings can manifest in our lives as we continue to grow in mind, body and spirit. There will be situations created in our lives that will help us get through the rough patches we face. We must remember to do our part or else, there will be no room built for growth and improvement.

OUR DISAPPOINTMENTS WILL LEAD US TO DIVINE APPOINTMENTS!