Buoyant History

“I’ve had a great life.”

Carol Abbott Butterfield

Buoyant History

“You were born in 1927?”  I asked.

“Yes.” She replied.

“So, you lived the first one-fourth of your life during the Great Depression and then again in the past four years?”
“Yes, but I’ve had a great life!”

This conversation has been running through my mind again and again over the past few days.  I’ve thought about it over and over; thinking about it in detail and combining it with the historical setting racing in my mind.

Carol was born just before the big stock market crash in 1929. The event ushered in the financial crisis that led to more than 25% unemployment as well as huge despair.   In fact, the people I’ve know who lived through this exigent period have never gotten over the psychological impact for their entire lives.  The economic impact was so severe that nothing really made a difference in the financial and business climate until our people began to fight for their very lives during World War II.  Talk about being hit by one huge challenge after another!  I tell you this brief narrative to point out to you that unprecedented contrasting good followed this miserable and gloomy period.

Sometimes when in the throes of life-changing events it’s hard to use personal anticipation skills to give yourself the strength to move toward a brighter future.  That’s why I wanted you to know that there were many times when Carol felt as if she was not living on the sunny side of the street.  But now, as she looks at her life in total, she feels satisfaction and joy as a result of all the good things that have woven their way through her life.

The same will be true in your life if you will allow the lessons of history to act as guideposts to demonstrate the power of personal faith.  If you are experiencing hard times, know that good times will come to you again if you simply combine optimistic vision with devotional effort.  History has taught us that offering one of these two key ingredients alone is never enough. 

But, you have both elements inside already, so you have what it takes!  Always remember that ordinary people can and will do extraordinary things.  The personal history you’re writing now will add volumes of additional evidence!