Setbacks Are Often The Beginning of Something Good
Recently I read a book about a Russian man in the 1920’s who was put under house arrest for about 30 years. His circumstances were unique as his place of arrest was a hotel in the heart of Moscow. For 30 years his life played out in the confines of this small hotel. Towards the end of his life, he pondered on the experiences he faced – both good and bad. Of course, much of what he had wanted in life never came about. And much of his life was filled with completely unexpected and difficult circumstances. However, as he thought back on his life, he realized that often the experiences that brought him the most happiness and growth initially started out as setbacks or negative experiences. For instance, one of his most cherished relationships began as a very unexpected and unwelcome burden.
Back in 2009, I was laid off from work. It was during the peak of the recession and it took about nine months to find another job. The experience was incredibly discouraging, frustrating, and psychologically difficult. However, when I was out of work, I had some time on my hands to tackle unfinished house projects. One of them included tiling and finishing up our laundry room which was also going to double as a craft room. It took several weeks to get the room tiled, painted, and finished. The room was big enough for Allison to set up her sewing machines and work on some projects.
Within a day or two of finishing the room, one of Allison’s friends asked her if she would be willing to teach her daughters to sew. Allison had been sewing for most of her life, and had a minor in sewing from BYU, but had mainly worked on her own personal projects. She had never even thought about teaching and we didn’t have the space to teach. However, now that we had the large laundry room all finished, she had the space to accommodate students. She said yes and started teaching her three daughters. She’s been teaching ever since. Now, nine years later, she is teaching about 60 students a year. This has turned into a fulfilling opportunity for her to teach sewing skills to so many girls, boys, and adults.
Looking back, I can now see how something which started out as an initially difficult experience, turned out to be a blessing for my wife, my family, and others. At the time, I had no way of seeing how things would turn out. The great love our Heavenly Father has for us can be found in both our successes and in our trials. In Romans 8:28, we learn, “All things work together for good to them that love God…”
-Brother Marvin Nelson