My dad used to say that life is about passing a series of tests, and God will let you keep retaking them until you pass.
years ago, I was going through a really frustrating season at my job. There was some stuff going on that was really eating at me. There wasn’t really much I could do to change the situation other than quit, and I didn’t feel led to do that at that time.
So, I started an Evernote file of things I was learning from and about the situation. What not to do, how not to treat people if I ever walked through it again, how to handle difficult people, and throngs that I felt in that season.
It didn’t change the situation. But it helped me see the big picture and realize that there was a learning opportunity hidden within the hardship.
It’s a practice I’ve stuck to over the years… keeping a ledger of learning from hard things. Anything I face that is frustrating and taxing (professionally, ministry, marriage, kids) gets a notebook file.
It also reminds me that I’ve written about hard stuff before and always get though it.
Be intentional with hard seasons and watch growth accelerate.