Last week was a difficult week for me to get through, though not horrible in comparison to what could have been. I spent several days trying to prepare part of our house for a construction project, which meant going through and moving a lot of things we had stored away and were also covered in concrete dust from a previous project. The only time I had to work on it was at night and I got little sleep for three days. Aside from taking 4x longer than it should have, and being more of a mess than I would have liked, I finished up as the construction was starting. While this was going on, my phone decided it would not charge anymore and eventually died, despite some efforts to repair things, and discovering my back-up phone no longer had service. I also got a wake up call at 5:30 on Saturday morning, as a friend was going through a rough time and had the police called on him, so I spent the next four hours listening to him spill his guts to me as I drove him around and he sobered up. It was an unusual week for sure, but one from which we learned a few lessons and eventually got through in one piece. What is your response when things don’t go as planned or unwanted surprises come around?
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
As you get older, you learn that whatever difficulties come our way, it eventually passes, though not always without leaving us changed, or other devastation as a result. While the past week was difficult, it wasn’t impossible to deal with, and the impact of some things could have been less by addressing known issues in advance, but hindsight is 20/20, as they say. You would think that as we get older, we would be wiser in how we approach and deal with difficulties in life, but there are always some complicating factors that change the game-plan. While surprises may come, we still have to deal with the daily duties of life, family, work, and other responsibilities that don’t really go away when life gets interrupted. When illness and death enter our lives it leaves an even harsher mark, but can also bring people together in ways that give us hope as well. When we make it through the storms in life, it gives us hope that we can still make it through the next storm that lies ahead as well.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4
So, when we encounter these trials in life, what is our initial response, and at what point do we seek help from others or from God? My natural response is to take things on headfirst and think I should be able to deal with whatever I am facing. Its not usually until we are neck deep in whatever we have encountered that we say, maybe I should have done this differently, or asked for help earlier on in the process. It’s often when we are in over our heads that we cry out to God for guidance and intervention, as I’ve found myself in that setting on several different occasions. Though facing challenges may not always change our behavior, hopefully it does bring us closer to God and to others in the process. When I left my friend on Saturday, we spent time in prayer together, as the one thing he is still holding on to that is not shaken is his faith in Jesus, and honestly, while I am not in exactly the same place as he is, I can say the same thing. Through all the difficulties and challenges we face in this life, Christ is the one constant that does not change, and for that I am thankful!
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33
Yours in Christ,
Clark
