Week 2 : Find the Blessing in a Difficult Situation

“Everything has its blessing.”

Reading: I’ve divided the book up into nine sections, one of which we will read each of the remaining nine weeks of the class. For this week, it’s the first nine short chapters in the “Receiving Your Blessings” section of the book, pages 17-49. I encourage you to read these chapters slowly, putting the book aside when you find your mind wanting to consider something further or when you find yourself connecting something Remen has written to a situation or story from your life. Pay attention to these. Write them down, or take notes in the book. Do your best to stay mindful in your reading, treating this book as you would a treasured friend with whom you are having a significant conversation.

Kind Action: For this week’s action I am having us focus on the chapter “Wrestling With the Angel.” After having read the chapter, review an event in your past that caused you to suffer at the time of it. As your comfort level allows, review the event in detail, perhaps even taking time to write or talk to a trusted friend about it. Next, take stock of what has come since that event, specifically because of it. As a concluding action, allow yourself to express gratitude for the event because of what has entered your life due to it. Perhaps you met someone you otherwise would not have met. Perhaps you learned how to respond better to a person or situation you found difficult. Please do not choose anything that causes you undue pain.

Optional Idea: If you began a blessings journal last week, take time this week to tell someone one of the stories you noted in it. When you do this, be very mindful of telling the story fully, giving it its due. Include why you experienced this as a blessing.

Link to Book: “My Grandfather’s Blessings”