The gift of desperation: The blessings hidden in adversity

“All the lessons of history in four sentences:
Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad with power.
The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly small.
The bee fertilizes the flower it robs.
When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.”
— Charles A. Beard

This morning I came across the above quote and realized its timely wisdom perfectly captures the lessons we take from current events.

The first line warns that power without accountability breeds an instability and arrogance within leaders that ultimately causes their downfall. We see how unchecked power leads to irrationality and poor judgment.

The second line, referencing a Longfellow poem, promises that while justice moves slowly, karma will eventually grind the wicked “exceedingly small.” This serves as a reassurance that goodness prevails when we surrender outcomes beyond our control to a higher power.

The third phrase highlights the interdependency and balance of nature. Even when bees take from flowers, they facilitate cross-pollination, illustrating how our actions reverberate, and how we can transform negatives into positives.

Finally, the darkest nights reveal the most brilliant stars, suggesting that our most difficult seasons often unveil our greatest sources of hope and light. By shifting perspective amidst despair, we uncover our resilient strength.

This Thanksgiving, I am embracing gratitude for both the light and the darkness. My painful trials sparked personal growth by compelling me to nourish my spirit through service, prayer, and self-reflection. Out of adversity arose camaraderie, compassion and wisdom I may not have otherwise discovered within myself and others.

When we see life’s completeness rather than just its shadows, when we change our outlook to uncover the stars in the void of night, we transform everything.