Reflections on a Broken Mug
A sudden, loud cracking noise next to the dining room table was enough to bring me rushing from the adjacent room. I gazed in grief at the mess: soggy mint leaves and a tea bag sadly lying on the floor amongst the ruins of one of my favorite mugs. This was the second of two remaining big mugs which I adore for their size and colors. After the initial moment of shock at this unfortunate event that has just taken place, I immediately went to fetch a mop to sweep away the broken pieces before any of the kids got hurt.
This incident, as trivial as it may seem, kept me thinking… Some strange connection kept nagging on my mind for the couple of hours that followed. In life, we are usually faced with difficult circumstances that would eat away at our souls. We are left with pieces of ourselves broken, shattered. In order to keep up with the unrelenting grind of everyday life, we are supposed to sweep up the mess as fast as possible and move on. We are expected to promptly wipe away the tears and get up on our feet again. Those difficult circumstances are made to build us up again, the shattering is meant to put the pieces of ourselves together again. I once read a quote that said, “We mature with the damage, not the years.” I am a firm believer in this. Mental and emotional strength are almost always the product of several situations that left our souls feeling broken and damaged.
As Allah (Arabic name for God) is the All-Wise, I am quite sure he brings such situations our way for a valid reason. On the outside, the situation may look awfully unjust or harsh but when you look at the bigger picture and the events that followed, you surely start to grasp the wisdom behind it all. A divorce, the death of a close friend or relative, failing an important exam, or loss of business are all examples of such difficult circumstances. His Wisdom, though, may be quite evident at times and it may be completely inapparent at other times. It is when we faithfully persevere and strive to see beyond the suffering that we are able to read Allah’s Message in such adversities.
My heart goes out to everyone who is going through a rough patch. May Allah Almighty make things easy for you.
