A lot of times we hear from people that their life are tough. They have been through a lot of experiences, pleasant and unpleasant, trying and tiring, uplifting and inspiring. Some people are fearful of challenges and tough times in life. They seek to avoid them and always praying for smooth sailing and all that is good in life. But is that realistic?
Going through a rough patch in life is not really a bad thing. I once hated the thoughts of having to go through these rough patches in life as well. But as I watched the incense burn this morning, I was strangely comforted that I actually go through all those various rough patches. What it reminded me was that to get that pleasant smell and the lingering smell of the sweet incense, I have to burn it. If I do not burn the incense, then really it does not serve its purpose at all.
This brought me back to those days when I was camping. We built camp fire to keep ourselves warm in the night and also to cook. The wood we collected served their purpose and became the product we needed that is light, heat and fire for cooking. When I relate all these imageries back to those rough times, they are just fire that are burning off the rough edges of me, my character, personality and resilience. All these rough edges fall off as ashes, while the refined me becomes the light, heat and fire that are more precious. And just like the incense, I become a person who will create blessings and benefits for the people around me. That is the purpose of these tough times and challenges in life. Embrace them and not fight them, so that we can be a better person and live a better life!