Robert Frost said the best way out is through. The Stoics believe the obstacle is the way. 

It’s been a trying time for most of us these past few weeks.  It will continue to be for a little while longer it seems. We face troubles and bad situations every day.  Some days are harder than others.  Some days I dare say we don’t even notice the troubles for their lightness.  Right now, most of us face a strange trial that mostly tries our patience and our ability to let go of our normal lives for a little while.  Some of us face financial shortages or a career crisis as the markets take a temporary dive.

There’s truth in both the earlier ideas. We’ve got to go through it. We don’t get a choice. The path is before us and we have got to take it.  The choice we have is how we get through it.  Do we do it with grace, patience, strength, and wisdom?  Do we try to drown out the frustration with alcohol or other vices?

It’s okay to struggle with this.  Everyone struggles.  The victory is beyond the struggle; it’s on the other side of the obstacle. Be sure to take a step back and get a full picture of the obstacle.  I assure you, Jesus assures us, it’s not as bad as you think, and the reward is greater than you can imagine.

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (II Corinthians
4:17-18)