Time Well Spent Part 4
February 4, 2026
Time Well Spent Part 4
I have looked into eyes where no one is home; they were vacant, dazed, emptied of light. I have seen spirits broken like trees struck by lightning or extinguished like a match in the wind. This is what can happen when sudden misfortune meets us.
Many years ago, I discovered words in Max Ehrmann’s poem “Desiderata” that named what I had witnessed in the lives of many dear souls.
“Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.”
We all face darkness, disappointments, and losses that, left uncontained, can overwhelm us. These experiences carry feelings powerful enough to break hearts, extinguish spirits, and steal hope. This is why we must build strength before we need it.
Without reserves of strength, a rough situation can shatter us completely. I have seen this devastation: vacant, dazed eyes, no one home behind them. Hearts so broken you can sense the fracture when you’re near them. Spirits can be doused. Without resilience, despair swallows us whole, and we cannot see our way forward.
So, nurturing the spirit's strength is time well spent. But first, we must discover what truly strengthens that spirit. For some, it’s time with friends and loved ones, or the consolation of our spiritual practice. For others, nature restores what life depletes. The arts, such as music, poetry, dance, photography, pilgrimage, literature, and visual beauty, can be profound nourishment. So can sports, service to those in need, or deep spiritual study. The key is knowing your sources and nurturing them before you need to draw from them.
I greatly admire Allen, who provided well for his family. Though he came from a disadvantaged family and his father abandoned his mother before he was born, Allen gathered strength from everyone, especially his mother, who never let him fall through the cracks. As an adult, he learned mechanics and finally bought his own automobile repair shop, building it from the ground up. He had a large following because he took care of his customers. A tragedy took Allen’s health. He was not able to walk. Allen was tempted to fold up and say that life cheated him again, just like it had from the beginning. But no, he drew on the bottomless love that his single mother poured into him when he was growing up.
When our son Ben died, and years later when our daughter Lauren passed, we could not have survived without the strength of spirit we had nurtured for years. In the initial shock, we were held by unimaginable love. Through the long recovery, we were embraced and understood. Had we not cultivated deep connections with family and friends, we would have had no strength to carry on. Had we not maintained our spiritual practices, we would have been locked outside in darkness and despair—knocking desperately on God’s door instead of knowing we were already held within the kingdom.
This is true for all of us. When sudden misfortune appears, the strength of spirit we have nurtured becomes our shield. It doesn’t prevent the blow, but it keeps us from shattering. Nurturing the spirit is time well spent.
Spiritual practice: This week, notice when you are down or disappointed. Then see what you draw on for relief, and hope. Describe these sources and become familiar with them. What do you do to nurture the things that heal you actively? Second practice, when you see someone whose eyes are glazed over, speak life into them.
Self-inquiry: Do you have enough strength of spirit to shield you in a sudden misfortune?
Prayer:
Dear God, Please help us all to nurture our strength of spirit. Amen.
