Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall

Rain, as I am sure you know, in that common metaphor refers to adversity.
Adverse events often happen to us while we plan out what we really want to happen in our lives. It is how we handle those adverse events in our lives that determine how strong each of our human spirits will become.

Adversity in one’s life can make or break a person’s body, mind and spirit. The person who rises above adverse circumstances in their life is a spiritually stronger person than someone who has always had everything come smoothly to them in their life.

Today in the world we live in now, the ‘rich and famous’ Martha Stewart is an example of an individual, who had everything in life but suddenly faced an adverse, life-altering event. She rose spiritually above her adverse circumstances. Ms. Stewart, who was a stockbroker herself in her younger years, was convicted in a well-publicized case of receiving ‘insider’ information on a stock so she knew when to sell her stock before the price fell. Her conviction resulted in her being sent to a federal prison located in rural West Virginia to serve out a five-month sentence.

In a statement issued after her release Martha Stewart said that she spent part of her time in prison thinking about her experience and writing about it. She went on about how bad the food was in prison so once she was released she now had a base to compare her rich life against what many less fortunate individuals have to eat compared to herself. She went further to state that she walked and exercised while in prison. Both of these activities help both the human body and the human spirit to bear up under adverse conditions. While she was in prison Martha was assigned to do common household chores, vacuuming and washing floors. A woman of Martha Stewart’s social status never does housework. I hope Martha also learned humility from having to do these common chores.

During her five months in prison Martha Stewart made friends with several of her fellow inmates. After her release from prison she has become an advocate for federal sentencing guideline reform particularity for drug offenders who she feels would be better served by rehabilitation than being incarcerated. Thinking about the misery of others shows how Martha Stewart’s spirit has grown in strength from her five month stay in prison.

After her release from prison Ms. Stewart looked back on her experience and did make the statement to the press that her experience was “life altering and life affirming”. This statement tells me that she grasped the positive side of her adverse experience.
Her spirit soared to new heights, and she resumed her career with her head held high.

Today I doubt that many people remember that the rich and famous Martha Stewart of both TV and magazine fame once served time in prison. When a person handles adverse events in their life as Martha Stewart handled hers, they find that most people forget the negative side of the event.

Each of us, whom has grown strong in the spirit, has had to overcoming adversity.
For myself it was a six-year struggle caring for my beloved mother whom I knew was terminally ill. I wanted to keep her on this earth as long as it was possible.

After my mother passed to God’s care I resumed my former life, working outside of my home, and continuing my education. Seven years later I was again faced with an adverse, life-affirming event in my life. Through an accident, 4 of the discs in my lower spine were severely injured. Once again I didn’t lose my faith in God. All throughout my life I have been a big fan of talking to God on a daily basis. He came through for me through another person who also believes in Him. Through this second person I found a doctor who was successful in repairing my discs so I was able to resume my life, once again. There was a ten-year gap in time from the day I was injured, to the day I realized that I was finally fully recovered. My spirit held me together; I never lost my faith in God throughout my personal ordeal.

Today my spirit is high on life, I know from the experiences of others, and from my own experiences that adverse events in our lives shape who we are in the spirit. While some rain must fall in each of our lives the positive effect of adversity, for each of us, is the strengthening of each of our eternal spirits, our eternal souls.

This story contains some true life events from my life.
Copyright © 2010 by Carol Garnier Dutra

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