Getting Bent into Shape

The other day, I unfolded a Chinese food container getting it ready for the recycling bin. I noticed that flattened, it was a very interestingly shaped white piece of cardboard. It could have been used in that state for several things including, something to write on, to cover something else, or as a decoration. In order to fulfill its real purpose of being a container for food, it had to be bent into its final boxy shape.

I thought about how many times in life we come upon people or events that disturb or annoy us and we say that we get "bent out of shape" by them. Maybe these things are really meant to bend us into shape so we may fulfill our real purpose in life. Perhaps they teach us about how to cope with adversity, or show us an aspect of ourselves that we had previously ignored. They may move us out of our comfort zone so we may experience growth and change.

So next time someone or something gets you "bent out of shape," look for the lesson in the situation. Consider the possibility that you are getting closer to your really purposeful shape.