When It Helps To Compare Our Troubles and Diffculties to Others

Sometimes it helps to compare our troubles and difficulties to others. We can apply this to both really serious issues and those that are less serious.

Either way, comparing our troubles and difficulties to others might provide some perspective. Many times we'll find that what we thought was a big deal diminishes in comparison.

Of course, this practice doesn't make our issues disappear. In the workplace, this practice may not even give us much of a respite from whatever we're feeling as we grapple with seemingly impossible-to-solve problems, or hard-to-get-along with co-workers, or a job that doesn't pay enough or is really one which we dislike intensely.

(We'll stop the list there. As you might imagine, it could go on virtually ad infinitum for some of us.)

Our Heavenly Father can help us out here from time to time. His help may not be something we seek or even welcome, of course. We're talking about really awful things that happen to us in this Vale of Tears. The example that always pops up in my own life is the death of one of our adult children. (We've talked about this a number of times in the past.) It came suddenly, without any warning. It was devastating to our family, to his wife, to his young child. And the recollection of it brings clear and sharp sorrow and pain to this day, over five years later. 

God's Plan is typically mysterious. It's likely not at all similar to what we might chose. For example, why did God permit the death of our son? We don't know. One thing I do know is that it has served as something to which I compare all other troubles and difficulties. That's different than comparing to others, of course; but it's maybe a stark example of how comparing can help us work through present problems. 

With this in mind, we're going to look at something written by one of our favorite spiritual guides, Father William Doyle. Those of us who know of Father Willie recall that the last years of his life were spent serving as a military chaplain to Irish soldiers in World War I. He was killed in 1917 while serving his boys. He wrote the following in early 1917.

We find Father in the trenches before a raid. Just read this slowly, even use your imagination as you do, to get the full impact of what Father faced and how he dealt with it. Incredible.

While I wouldn't compare this to losing a child, it can still serve as the sort of example that might help to put any or our difficulties and troubles - especially those we face at work - into perspective.

4 January 1917

I did not get my work finished till rather late tonight and as I had to turn out again shortly it was not worth while turning in. Some of my men were to make a raid on the enemy trenches in the early hours of the morning, dangerous work and heavy casualties often, so I make it a point to go round the line and give each man Absolution before he ‘goes over the top.’ It is a hard and anxious time and a big strain waiting for the word to be given and I know it is a comfort to them to see the priest come round and a cheery word bucks them up. All went well with the raid. We should have had more prisoners only a hot-blooded Irishman is a dangerous customer when he gets behind a bayonet and wants to let daylight through everybody.

I got back to my bunk at six and slept like a top till seven, not too long you will say, but if you come out here you will find all the old-fashioned ideas about food and sleep and wet clothes and the rest of it rapidly vanishing. It is wonderful what you can do with a cup of tea and one hours’ sleep in the twenty-four. (Personally I would vote for two hours, and two cups of tea with a wee bit of bread.)