Have you noticed that when people talk about the need for acceptance, it’s not usually when things are going well? Think about it. Who struggles to accept their lucky breaks, good fortune, and more pleasant turns of events? No, the need for acceptance is usually reserved for when we’re confronted by unwelcome developments, ugly surprises, and disappointing news. Lately I feel as though I’ve become an expert at just that kind of thing. Last month, we lost our elderly Siamese cat to a host of age-related maladies. Through not unexpected, it was still painful, especially since it was the second loss of a pet we’ve had in just more than four months.

When I lost Buddy, I told you how practicing gratitude helped me through it. Losing Tiptin the Siamese taught me another lesson: how practicing acceptance kept me centered and present during his decline and especially as the end of his life approached. With each day, there seemed to be a little less of him.

But each development, whether welcome or not, pulled me out of longing for the past and anxiety about the future. Acceptance gave me clarity about the reality of the situation as treatment options dwindled and our time together grew short. Acceptance kept me out of the limited realm of my preferences and helped me be fully present and responsive to what the situation called for, even as Tiptin’s health shifted from day to day.

At the end of his life, I prayed to accept Tiptin’s passing as the inevitable end to a long and happy life. Doing that helped me to stay grateful for our time together and for the opportunity to have cared for him throughout the years.

Spiritual Living Leads to Acceptance of Life as It Comes

Anyone who has dedicated themselves to spiritual living knows it isn’t always easy to travel that path. Sometimes it’s downright difficult—painful, lonely, confusing—but we accept that it’s all part of the journey. For many, faith helps us navigate and believe that even if we stumble, we’ll get up again. We trust we are never alone, especially in our lower moments and more desperate interludes. In fact, spiritual living often helps us accept that even though dark times are inevitable, they will not last forever.

In fact, it has been the acceptance of the ups and downs of the spiritual path that has led me to better accept the worldly ones. Even better, spiritual practice has been my companion as I have cycled through my more difficult periods. In this most recent experience, I practiced gratitude for all that was right even when too many things felt wrong. I prayed for peace and strength when my inner world was chaotic and I didn’t feel I had the energy to go on. I relied upon the comforting presence of God in my sadness. All these things kept me fully present as I tended to a sweet, little creature as his time was running out.

I’m sharing my experience in the hope that it may help you stay present to your more unwelcome developments and troubling circumstances. May you practice acceptance not merely as a way of coping with a grudging reality, but to claim the peace of God, to live the truth of God, and to share the love of God throughout all the seasons of life.