The Worst of Times

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparisons. 

Charles Dickens "A Tale of Two Cities" (1812-1870)

Have you ever had a time or season in your life that you believed to be the most difficult ever? Perhaps you are in such a time or season. Did you know that in each "worst of times" there is in fact an opportunity to lay hold of the "best of times"; that each difficulty is a lid to a treasure chest? The real difficulty in our difficulties, is pushing past the betrayal, or illness and looking through it all, to open that lid, and push ahead one day at a time. There is a "season of light", even in a "season of darkness", and there is hope in your "season of despair". Don't give up, you can make it through the difficulties. It may take weeks, months and even years to see it through, but you can make it.

I have come through a difficulty just recently and I am better for it, much better. It has lasted over a year, and at times all I could do was sing "Jesus Loves Me". It was the "worst of times" yet looking back I can connect some dots and realize it was a good thing, a very good thing. They say that hind-sight is 20/20 vision. I can look back and connect dots in my life and realize that even though my life is hard at times I am still growing. When we allow resentment and bitterness to grow in us it is like a cancer. It grows in us but it does not belong in us; it will steal your health (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) and kill you.


We cannot look ahead and connect dots; only behind. There are too may variables for us to be sure how the future will turn out, which is why we must continue to be and love ourselves, do what we love, and move ahead one dream at a time. Yes there will be times when we are walking in the dark, but even that time can be a "season of light.