Forging a Path for Others

“One day, you will tell your story of how you’ve overcome what you’re going through, and it will be part of someone else’s survival guide.” ~Brene Brown

One day, I took a winter walk with Moxy, our family dog. Nearly six inches of snow carpeted the ground from a snowfall the night before, making it difficult to continue forward. The snow reached my shins, and each step was a grueling effort. As we descended an icy, treacherous flight of stairs, I noticed subtle footprints on the steps. Instinctively, I decided to walk in the forged steps, as it lessened the risk of falling.

I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the individual who had walked that path before me, as he or she unknowingly gave guidance on which steps to take next. A quote by Brené Brown echoed in my mind: “One day, you will tell your story of how you’ve overcome what you’re going through, and it will be part of someone else’s survival guide.”

I found the path challenging to navigate; I can’t imagine it was easier for the first person who forged it. Yet, he or she still walked a difficult path so that it could be easier for the next person. What another walked through quite literally became a part of my survival guide (honestly, those stairs were slippery, and every step felt like tempting fate).

When we endure future hardships, rather than grumble and complain about wanting things easier, what if we shift our mindsets? What if we recognize that our trials may aid someone in a way unknown to us?

I became reminded of a quote from the film I Still Believe. Melissa Henning, a cancer patient who has little time left on earth, shares her thoughts on the potential purpose of her suffering: “If one person’s life is changed by what I go through, it will all be worth it.” 

Melissa’s hope echoes that of Viktor Frankl, Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor: “When a man finds that it is his destiny to suffer, he will have to accept his suffering as his task; his single and unique task…His unique opportunity lies in the way in which he bears his burden.”

This idea of suffering being a unique and necessary task rather than a hindrance is in stark contrast with a world that values ease. Many want to reach their intended destinations with the least amount of struggle possible. If we have to suffer to attain a goal, we are immediately tempted to take the smoother path, whatever that may be. Yet, Frankl challenges us to shift our thoughts and find meaning and purpose amid our suffering.

I think it’s important to note that Frankl isn’t suggesting we willingly seek out hardship to have something to talk about. Rather, if it enters our lives, we bear that burden well. Brené Brown takes things a step further and suggests that our suffering has purpose and meaning because it may serve someone else in the future.

The Christian faith centers its world on the one Person who suffered beyond what we could ever imagine. His suffering became a part of our eternal survival guide. Because of what Jesus went through, we may experience the fullest and richest lives we’ve ever known. Perhaps we can glean from His perfect example of bearing our burdens with astounding dignity, profound meaning, and eternal purpose.

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Photocred: Wikimedia Commons