Two weeks after returning to higher altitude, my heart racing symptoms are accelerating with each day. It does cause me anxiety not knowing what is wrong with me and seeing the situation getting worse and worse.
Endurance is coping with an uncomfortable or unfortunate situation. It can be endurance to survive in a painful environment. Unrelenting pain or suffering can be endured, but not without body limiting effects. Mental endurance for a short time may be realistic, but long term stresses cause long term consequences.
“Jesus leads us into a place of radical grace where we are able to celebrate the hope of experiencing God’s glory. And that’s not all. We also celebrate in seasons of suffering because we know that when we suffer we develop endurance,which shapes our characters. When our characters are refined, we learn what it means to hope and anticipate God’s goodness. And hope will never fail to satisfy our deepest need because the Holy Spirit that was given to us has flooded our hearts with God’s love.” Romans 5: 2-5 The Voice
Brene Brown, PhD, LMSW in “Rising Strong – As a Spiritual Practice “ equates endurance to resilience. “Without exception, the concept of spirituality emerged from the data as a critical component of resilience and overcoming struggle.”
If I can recognize the emotion and be curious about it. If I can write it down and know what my reaction to the emotion makes me think. If I can integrate and bring this thought into my life, I can change the “ending of the story I own.” I can endure. You can endure.
What character refining experiences have you endured? How have you integrated change in your life? What unrecognized challenge to do you face now?
I hike up a small crest of a hill to the hoodoos in Palmer Park. I rest and endure the anxiety and heart racing by sitting still and wonder why this is happening now. Then I can view the mountains in the distance from the top of the hill and write about the experience later. I can bring this persistence and desire to climb into my life, and continue to persist in finding answers. Enduring the challenges of the unknown heart limitations.