Controversy...

Have you ever looked this word up in the dictionary? I did today and I had an epiphany as I noticed that the word preceding it was the word "Control"...hmm. Then it was followed by several words that had meanings containing the words contradict, rebelliousness, insult, abuse, bruise, disease. All the while I am thinking wow is it going to just keep getting worse and then the next word was "Convalesce" which means to recover, rally, recuperate, improve & restoration. So where's the epiphany you ask? Well, I found it interesting that you have to go through controversy and a lot of other similar meaning words to get from control to convalesce. I am finding that this is true with life as well. Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. We are dealing with some issues in our church family that are to say the least...controversial, and because many individuals have control issues, we are finding ourselves feeling frustrated, hopeless at times, in contradiction with the greater corporate churches decisions on some issues and resulting in feeling very conflicted and downright bruised emotionally. At times I think...wow! is it going to just keep getting worse? We continue to search for sources of hope and enlightenment as we find ourselves puzzled with choices, and we discern where we are and how everything affects us and our family directly and indirectly. I noticed a parallel when I was looking up the meaning of the root word "Controversy"...who would have thought that I would have found the insight that sometimes in life when control issues arise it is necessary to work your way through controversy and contumacy, contumely, contusion, and conundrum in order to get to the convalesce (ie. healing). Another interesting note...the words that followed convalesce in my dictionary were convene, convent, conventional and convergence...all quite positive! hmm?!

So there is your vocabulary lesson for the day. I will end this post with the ever wise words of the Serenity Prayer....
Lord,
grant us the strength to change the things we can,
accept the things we can't,
and know the difference between the two.
( Thank you to my older brother who introduced me to this prayer, and also to my sister who had a recent post on her blog containing this prayer...it helped me gain some focus again)