Recently, Hurts reflected on overcoming those odds en route to becoming the MVP-caliber starter of the Philadelphia Eagles and playing in the Super Bowl, sharing that he got through challenging times and moments of self-doubt by keeping his favorite Bible verse in mind:

“You may not know now, but later you will understand.”

In other words, what can be really valuable and illuminating when things don’t go our way is the perspective we achieve about that event down the road. Not everything makes sense at the time. Not everything is supposed to make sense at the time. But patience and perspective may show us reasons and meanings that are not apparent in the present.

In my own life, I remember being dissatisfied as a young lawyer, and coming in second for three other more interesting legal jobs. At the time I felt demoralized and stuck. Those three rejections ended up being the impetus I needed to change careers.

I did not know that then. But what I now know is that those rejections were necessary steps in my journey. I only was to understand that with time, patience and perspective. I didn’t know why I kept coming in second then; now I understand. And I am grateful for it.

• • What disappointing outcome are you grappling with?
  • Can you give yourself time to view this differently sometime down the road?
  • Are there negative moments from your life that, with the benefit of time, fit into the bigger picture?
  • Have you recently counted your “blessings in disguise’?