#13 Side Quests: a conclusion

Ahh, the wrapping up of another good series. Well, “good” feels like a generous term. Actually, I almost feel like I owe y’all an apology on this one. I feel like it got a little disjointed and really didn’t go much of anywhere. If I had to wrap things up in a few short sentences, I would say this: sometimes you go on detours in various areas of your life. We treat them like failures because they don’t feel like steps forward on our main path. We may date someone that wasn’t the one, work a job in a different field, or drive a car that turned out to be really bad. Whatever it is, we often have these detours in our lives. 

The problem is that we tend to scorn these detours because of how they ended. But we neglect all the growth that happened Inside of us in the process. This kind of reminds me of Oreos. Except, we do what we are supposed to with those. We obsess over the delicious creamy goodness in the middle and completely toss out the outer layers. What if we did that with our memories? What if we learned to throw out the ending and focused on the middle. Because usually the middle wasn’t too bad. Maybe then we will see how much we grew, how much we learned about ourselves and life in the process. Maybe we will begin to see that this is life. 

Because there’s so much more going on than just the outcomes. Sure, outcomes are important in the grand scheme of your story, and the outcome is definitely a driving factor in how things play out. But what I am really advocating for is balance. Let your bird’s eye view drive the narrative, then take some time to appreciate all the wisdom you have gained in the process. Sometimes wisdom is actually nothing more than having a big list of how not to do things. And even that is valuable. 

So if you are wrapping up a chapter, take some time to reflect with joy and acceptance. Sometimes a bad ending makes that hard, so sift through those bad feelings and try to get to that acceptance point. Because if you don’t, you are taking a heap of powerful insights and leaving them locked inside a vault in your memory. And in that vault they will pile up and rot, not only decaying but corrupting from the neglect. Those memories may hurt, sting, or leave a sour taste in your mouth, but they can be traded in for powerful wisdom if you just take the time to work through them. 

So be grateful for every chapter of your life. Not just the ones with happy endings. Not just the ones that went exactly as you wanted. Open yourself up to the ones that hurt, the ones that sucked. The ones that seem like they were a waste of your time. Because deep down, they weren’t. They taught you something, brought you somewhere, and ultimately made you a better person for the journey ahead. 

And if you are sitting there thinking “oh, mr knight! You don’t know what I’ve done! It’s entirely irredeemable!” Nope! You’re wrong! It’s true, I don’t know what you’ve done. But you know what? I don’t need to. I believe every situation can be redeemed and utilized in some way. I know that the author of morality died to make you right, and the darker your life might be, the brighter the light of redemption will shine. 

I pray you find it within yourself to pray for that redemption. I pray that you will reach out your hand to be rescued by His. He’s waiting for you to turn in your side quest for some glorious XP. And believe me: the level-ups He can give you are far doper than you could ever imagine. 

Until next time

May Peace be your guide.