Surviving vs. Embracing and Thriving

This post comes from a combo of thinking about life and some words from Randy's sermon several weeks back and a conversation with Danielle today. I have been thinking about those shifts in life....when you realize that the Bible is more than just a book of good characters but it has broken messy people in its pages, like David. Or when you realize that life is just hard, that it isn't always this bubbly great place where things work out exactly as pictured. So the other day as I was weeding my yard I started thinking some about this and when these shifts happen. I think that because at one point we lived thinking that life would always be easy and good it is hard to make that shift and to not want to run away from pain and difficulty when it settles in.
As Randy put it, when we are faced with a difficult situation we can either be survivors or thrivers. To me surviving is just hunkering down, saying I just want to make it through, or ignoring the pain of the situation and brushing it off saying "it's all okay and not a big deal, it will be fine." Thriving is really embracing the situation, letting the reality of it sink in and seeing the hope of the Lord in the midst of the struggle. It is experiencing the depths of the situation. Surviving is walking around the pain instead of through it just to make it to the other side. Surviving is ignoring my heart and my heart's pain.
Romans 5: 3-5 And not only this, but we also exult in our suffering, knowing that suffering brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
I have hope, I have the Holy Spirit, I have Christ. Suffering leads me to seeing those things...that God's love is poured into me in the Holy Spirit so that I see myself and that I see him. It may not make it feel immediately any easier, but I think with seeing those things comes some peace and lifts some of the weight of pain.