Do you only wish for good things?

As I sit down with a fresh poured cup of coffee, my hands are touched with warmth. The feeling is familiar, bringing a sense of calming serenity. I take a moment to reflect on my week, which has been trying to say the very least. I have had several moments of frustration, annoyance and overall weakness. I have been challenged.

One thing that has always sparked my interest is what someone wishes for. If your friend were to tell you, “Make a wish!” What would it be?

The wishes many of us make are actions or items that we think may bring us happiness. You are probably thinking, “Well ya, obviously! It is a wish!”

But what if… your wishes bring challenge, heart break or pain? Probably sounds slightly morbid. Bare with me here.

It is easy to wish for happiness. It is easy to wish for things that bring us joy and stability. If we were being honest, everyone wants to have loads of money, big house, fancy cars, an amazing career and the perfect marriage. Right? Yes, of course we do. I challenge you to think, what are all those things really teaching you?

It is harder to wish for challenges, bringing feelings of extreme frustration, tears and anger. Why in the world would you want to hurt inside??!

One reason… appreciation.

True happiness comes from struggle. To truly value what we have in our lives and our experiences, we need to endure challenge.

The challenges of this week remind me of the pain and struggles I am willing to sustain. It takes a stronger person to work through challenges than it is to continuously receive. To truly appreciate what you have, I encourage you to… every once-in-while… wish for struggles. If my heart was never broken, I couldn’t possibly appreciate what my husband brings to our marriage. If I was never told I needed to try harder, I would never appreciate the efforts required to achieve great things. If I wasn’t willing to sacrifice buying material items, I would never feel the joy of purchasing our first home with money that came from long days and late nights (and a few exhausted tears).

As hard as this week has been on me I am thankful for experiencing those obstacles, as I have a greater appreciation for what I have accomplished and my husband who stands by my side.