Little Miss Muffet,
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away
A few days ago, I was about to post on my blog when I discovered that my site, dbonifacio.com, had been down due to transitions involving my domain registrar and website host. Thankfully, I had a backup of my more-than-a-thousand posts, but I still had to reconfigure my site. Instead of being upset, I decided it was a good time to make the most of this accidental reset.
I’ve been writing and sharing my thoughts for many years, and while most of my foundational beliefs remain, many things have also changed. Experience has a way of changing us and it is good to reflect on the type of person we’re becoming lest our experiences shape us into something we do not want to become. Do we become fearful when we experience a threat? Do we become bitter when we are met with disappointment? Do run away at the sight of adversity? Do we become proud when greatness visits? Do we become envious when greatness visits another? Do we surrender when we are met with defeat?
Who do we become when along comes a spider? (As the famous children’s poem put it.)
As for me, the most significant changes have been around what I believe, what I value, and as a result, what I do. I’ll share more in future posts but I’ll close with this verse from James 1:4.
"Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
It’s not enough to simply persevere, endure, and not give up. It matters that perseverance leads to maturity. It’s possible to go your whole life hoping for something better, holding on to a dream, and waiting for an answered prayer, and get nothing because our perseverance didn’t lead to personal maturity. Our perseverance didn’t forge our character into the person our hopes needed us to become.