“He did not say you would not be troubled, you would not be tempted, you would not be distressed, but he did say you would not be overcome” (St. Josemaría Escrivá).

The last few months have been chaotic for my family: My business has been transitioning, my husband was laid off and found a new job, and summer break started. Life has been busy, and yet there has definitely been progress—albeit not linear progress.

In the few quiet moments I had last week, I found myself in the garden weeding and picking strawberries. This year is the first year the squirrels stayed away from enough strawberries that we can consider them a decent harvest. Amazed by the progress of these plants, I started thinking about a quote I had read in an email: “Success is not linear; neither is progress.”

Just because we have a plentiful strawberry harvest this year does not mean that next year we will, too. We might get hail or snow at just the wrong moment, bugs might eat the plants, we might over- or under-water them, the squirrels might get them again … and the list of possibilities goes on. Year after year, it will be different. Year after year, we need to rely on God to provide how He sees fit: always making progress, just not always linear progress.

Three Steps Forward, One Step Back

Hopefully, with this mantra, we see more forward momentum than backward, but it often seems like we are barely ahead when we are hit with something that turns us back.

Maybe we just gained momentum going to weekly Adoration and then get sick and miss a week. Will we go back next week?

Maybe we finally reached a savings goal, but then we have to buy a new air conditioner. Do we keep saving?

Maybe we reach a fitness goal and then injure ourselves the next week. Do we keep working out?

As we move forward, challenges arise and slow us down. Sometimes, these setbacks are our fault. Sometimes, we could not have avoided them. Either way, they keep us humble.

Just Keep Going

More important than the setback is our response to it. When our progress or success starts trending down, what do we do? Do we stay the course and remain committed, or do we give up and move on? More importantly, do we take a moment to reflect on what God may be asking of us at this moment?

Depending on the situation, maybe the setback means it is time to move on and set new goals, but often, setbacks are there to make us stronger and to encourage us to reevaluate our motivation or “why.” Setbacks build fortitude, perseverance, and patience. If we keep going, we usually end up even better off, giving us strength for the next setback that is sure to come.

Time and experience teach us that these setbacks are simply part of life. As we move through them, we learn and grow, so we are ready for the new challenges that may be ahead. 

Investing

As a financial planner, I spend a lot of time helping people with their investments. If you’ve ever looked at a graph of the stock market, you probably noticed that it does not have linear returns. It goes up and down all the time, but it has always bounced back higher than it was before—if you wait long enough. Some downturns are longer than others, but in the end, we always see progress.

It may be hard to leave your money alone when you see negative returns, but if you pull it out, you will likely miss the positive returns. Progress is not linear. Perseverance, fortitude, and patience pay out in the long term.

Back to the Strawberries

Last year, our strawberry patch looked promising. The plants had filled in, and there were lots of flowers blooming. Then, Colorado weather happened: We had a huge hailstorm in May. As we were waiting, hoping that at least some had survived, we caught the squirrels stealing the strawberries. We ended up with a bowl or two for the entire season.

Toward the end of summer, Japanese beetles started eating the plants. We did our best to trap them and get them out of the garden, but the destruction was noticeable. My philosophy with my garden has always been, “Let God provide what He wants for us, because I do not have time to know everything about gardening.” (It should be my philosophy for all of life, but I still struggle to surrender at times.) We left everything alone.

As of writing this article, the strawberry plants are still producing this year, and we have harvested well over 10 bowls, happily enjoying them as a family and sharing them with friends. Honestly, though, I am not sure what next year’s harvest will look like. Will there be more strawberries, or will it be another rough season? The answer is in God’s hands, not mine.

In the same way, my investments may make or lose money today, this month, this quarter, this year, but over time, they will provide for me as God wants them to. Surrendering to His will and providence ultimately allows us to live our life with Him rather than on our own. It mitigates stress and builds faith. With God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26), but they must be according to His will.

Erica Mathews is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional with Financial Counseling Associates, a small, family owned, independent, financial planning and investment management firm. She is passionate about helping families and individuals build their wealth so they can live the lives they are made for. As a wife, mom of four, and businesswomen, she understands the complexities of family life and helps relieve the burden of financial stress with organization, a plan, and automation so her clients hit their goals. She lives in Colorado with her husband and four kids. They love everything outdoors including gardening, hiking, biking and simply exploring nature. If you would like to reach out to Erica, her email is erica@fca-inc.com.