Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Absorbing Shocks


I've been connecting with a lot of old friends. (Most of my friends are old :-) - but by that I mean that these are people I've know for a while!) Some I haven't seen in many years. For a lot of us life has been difficult. Personal loss, relational challenges, sickness, economic hardships, ministry troubles... the list goes on. I reflect on the things that I have gone through over these recent years, and that list is pretty scarey as well. So I have come to the conclusion that God doesn't keep his kids from the problems and drama of life.

When I say that I know full well that my life could be much worse if Christ were not daily intervening in my messy and imperfect life. I have "dodged the bullet" many times and I realize that it is not my "ninja reflexes" that accomplished that but rather the faithfulness of God. Yet, 'into every life a little rain must fall' the saying goes. These things test our resolve, our faith, and nearly everything else in our lives. How we respond determines the impact of the events that test us.

This summer I watched with horror as two people I care about greatly flipped in their canoe at the base of a multistory water fall. Freaking out didn't help so we all pitched in and pulled em out of the drink and emptied their canoe and put them on their way again. At the end of the day, it was a blip on the radar. One minute they were just hats floating through the rapids... a few hours later they were laughing around a fire. Now don't get me wrong, it could have been bad. But attitude and friends helped make the situation better.

Likewise when we are in the thick of it... when stuff is hitting proverbial fans... when life sucks the strength out of you... we need to do a few things to survive so we can laugh about it later.
1.) Look for friends to help your through it. Hopefully you will have amassed a large group of supporters and encouragers in your life by that point. Lean on them and they will help you "out of the drink".
2.) Make sure that you have a great attitude of faith and a positive outlook on life. That will help you through
3.) See number one? remember that there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother... his name in Jesus.

This is my story. God hasn't protected us from the bumps in the road... but he is a heck of shock absorber!