Life
happens. Really? Life happens?
What does that really mean? Life. Happens.
Over the years I have witnessed one crisis after another. There is devastation. Loss of every kind. Brutality.
Hatred. Illnesses. Financial turmoil. Marriages that fail. Shootings.
Riots. Pain. And, war.
Life happens in
every nook and cranny of our existence.
No one is exempt from life’s challenges.
Many ask: Does God care? Is he aware of the horrific happenings in our
lives? Does he not hear our cries for help? Will God not provide comfort? Solutions? Help? Grace?
The rope to hang on is getting tougher by the second. The strength it takes to grip the rope is
beginning to take its toll and the fatigue is overwhelming. Wariness has set in for the time being. Emptiness has taken its place in the
mind. Loneliness is burdensome. Teary eyes.
Anger has the stage. Guilt pulls
into the station for its turn.
Is there any
hope for the restless mind that’s constantly on a journey of painful memories
and sleepless nights and the fear of what will happen?
GRACE! Where are you? Please take your place so the soul can rest
and the memories will not be so daunting and the days are not so long and the
nights are met with quality sleep and the fear will dissipate into
oblivion.
There is a
longing for calmness in the turbulent storm.
Conflicts are beating a continual rhythm of frustration. And, the exhaustion from thinking about the
adversity being experienced is increasingly annoying.
Where is that place
to rest? There is a real need to catch a
breath and catch up with every emotion that takes its journey through the
mind. Is there a sanctuary where one can
go to be free to express hurt? Is there
that one friend who will listen and who can be trusted and who is faithful?
Asaph was a
music director in the big Israeli choir.
In Psalm 73, Asaph was
opining over his life. He compared the
ways of those who lived godless and the way he had been living his life and
thought that he may have lived his life in vain. He said that the wicked are carefree and
lives a troubled free life; yet, his life was banged around with trouble and
strife. Asaph didn’t stay in the pity
party too long. His connection with God helped him grasp the difficulties of
life. Asaph’s sanctuary moment with God reminded
him that in life, good and bad happens even to the ones who live
honorably. He also remembered that while
wicked people possess an abundance of stuff and live life carefree and may
outwardly seem they have it altogether, there will be a day of reckoning for
those whose life isn’t in step with God’s standard.
Life really
happens and it isn’t always good. There
are bad things that happen to people whose lives are honorable in every
way. God said, I’m always there for
you. Jesus, said, you can come and count
on me anytime and I will provide exactly what you need.
Decisions to
adjust ones life based on bad stuff that has happened or is happening can cost
one a great deal. The cost may be a
job. Marriage. Financial hardship. Friends.
And, a plethora of other things.
However, when one sets out on a course to change one’s life for the
betterment of him/herself, then it is imperative that one is willing to accept
the challenges from those who disagree. The
key is to allow God to lead and be willing to be patient.
Life happens and
it isn’t always good. Life happens and it isn’t always bad. Life happens and it zaps one’s energy. Life happens and it fills one with joy. Life happens and it is totally
devastating. Life happens and it gives
one an unforgettable positive experience.
No matter what
is happening in life, God is always on the scene. God is always aware. God is always working out the details to get
us where we need to be. God is always
providing resources. God is always
leading us to be renewed, refreshed and revived.
Seeing God in
the intricacies of life with enable each of us to be better, feel better and
live better.
Remember, Be God
Controlled!
Brian