Irritants in Our Lives

When my youngest daughter, Susan, was attending Missouri State University in order to become a Nurse Practitioner, she had personality problems with one of the instructors.  I remember talking to Susan on the phone and listening to a wide array of problems and conflict.  Susan tried to stay out of this instructor's way but interaction had to take place in order to graduate.

Susan graduated and was very surprised to be offered a position as Director of the Nurse Practitioners program at Missouri State University.  Normally a requirement for the new position required a PHD which she later obtained but at the time did not have.  Incredibly they told her if she began her PHD training while in the position that she could still have the position and the University would pay for her doctorate.  Everything worked together to make this new position work out.

A few days after accepting the position Susan called me with the astounding news that the professor that she had had the personality problems with was the one who recommended her for the position.

How many times have we had a personality problem with someone and then found that they were in our life for a reason or even more incredibly that we we grew to appreciate them? Sometimes they are like an irritant that produces the pearls in our lives.  All people in our lives are there for a purpose or a reason----there are no coincidences.  It may take time to discover the gift of their presence but there is always a gift.