Who Knows What’s Good Or Bad?

We don’t always understand why certain things happen.

At times it could be so easy to be mad. To play the victim. To feel shame, disgrace, or even envy.

It could be so easy for my husband and me to get angry, since this is our second miscarriage. It could be so easy to get angry because I thought I was doing all the “right” things.

But what would that do?

Have you ever heard the parable about the old farmer and his horse? It goes something like this:

When an old farmer’s stallion wins a prize at a country show, his neighbor calls round to congratulate him, but the old farmer says, “Who knows what is good and what is bad?”

The next day some thieves come and steal his valuable animal. His neighbor comes to commiserate with him, but the old man replies, “Who knows what is good and what is bad?”

A few days later, the spirited stallion escapes from the thieves and joins a herd of wild mares, leading them back to the farm. The neighbor calls to share the farmer’s joy, but the farmer says, “Who knows what is good and what is bad?”

The following day, while trying to break in one of the mares, the farmer’s son is thrown and fractures his leg. The neighbor calls to share the farmer’s sorrow, but the old man’s attitude remains the same as before.

The following week the army passes by, forcibly conscripting soldiers for the war, but they do not take the farmer’s son because he cannot walk. The neighbor thinks to himself, “Who knows what is good and what is bad?”

It truly is a mystery as to what the bigger plan is…and trusting in that is paramount.

Whether there is “good” or “bad” ahead is unknown. But this very moment, no matter how hard it may seem, is a gift. A gift of opportunity to share our journey with others. A gift to allow yourself to receive love and support. A gift to recognize the incredible human beings we have in our lives, and allow them to shine in their love for us. A gift to trust in the process. A gift to turn the page and start anew. A gift to feel the depth of human emotion.

Let us not be a judge of what is good or bad. Instead, trust in the bigger picture, and trust that we are loved and cared for.