Adversity affects everyone.
Sometimes we get a heads-up, like a weather forecast, and other times it
comes like an earthquake with no warning.
The Bible tells us that sunshine and rain fall on the good and the bad. Likewise, everyone will probably experience
adversity many times throughout their life.
Maybe the way we respond to what happens affects us more than
the actual event.
Take for instance a snow storm. Sometimes the weather folks get it right, and
we get the big snow they get us all hyped up about. Then, when it moves out, we have to deal with
what it left behind. How we deal with it
determines how long it will affect us.
If the snow plows and shovels are not put to use, the snow will hinder
us until it melts on its own.
We know what to do this time because of what we’ve learned
from the last time. I learned that it’s
easier to shovel snow while it is light and fluffy rather than after it has
melted some and is heavier. And, you might
as well wait until the snow plow goes through before you dig out the end of the
driveway or the car.
How about an emotional crisis? How do we deal with that? Again what I’ve learned: I tend to trap things in my mind, aka, obsess
over them. Sometimes it’s so bad that I
can’t do anything else; I just sit and think about it, for days! Recently, a friend had a family crisis. It affected me because I care deeply for her
and her family. I was on the outer
fringes of this storm; just a coating of snow compared to the blizzard she
experienced, yet, I let this circumstance take over my thoughts, until, I put
into practice what I learned from the previous storm: I have to forgive. Was I praying about this situation? Sure I was.
However, I had to let go of the offense. Even though it was not against me directly, I
was still affected; therefore, I could not move forward until I exercised
forgiveness. Someone else experienced
the blizzard, but I still had snow to clear away. I had to forgive the offender, and once I
did, I was able to move forward and my thoughts and prayers changed from worry
and the worst possible outcome, to confidence and praise and thanking God that
whatever it is, He’s got it.
Jesus said that we should expect trouble. There’s no way of escaping it. He also told us not to be afraid because He
has already defeated evil. He’s got it. The wind and the waves still obey His voice,
and we can absolutely trust Him before, during, and after any storm that comes our
way.
No comments:
Post a Comment