I was reading in Max Lucado’s Cure for the Common Life, and read of something that Max was counseled to do one day when he was discouraged and feeling “hollow, robotic, and mechanical.” I thought that was a pretty apt description of what life can feel like when we are recovering from a devastating loss.
His friend suggested that he “describe some occasions when you did something you love to do and did it well.”
Max was counseled to take a step back from his busy schedule, find a quiet place, and review his life, listing events when he had belt both satisfaction and success.
As Max did so, he saw a pattern emerging. And when his friend later asked him, “What one word describes your sweet spot?”, Max was able to answer immediately: “Message.” He had felt his greatest satisfaction and success when studying, giving speeches, writing, and preparing lessons.
Not all of us have that gift. But all of us have some gift. It could be anything – cooking, designing things, creating beauty, speaking, writing, interacting with people, working with numbers, teaching children, baking, or any of a thousand other things. You do have a gift – and likely more than one. And if we are allowing our lives to be filled up with those things that we do poorly and dislike, and never take time to develop and enjoy our gift, life can become hollow, robotic, and mechanical.
Take a moment today and make your list. When have you felt both satisfaction and success? What do you enjoy doing?
It might be that finding your own sweet spot can be a turning point in your healing. And that would be sweet indeed.
Find hope after loss 