Oh, how I wish that I could have a do-over. Oh, how I wish that I didn’t have to go through what I just went through. Oh, how I wish that the first time were sufficient. Oh, how I wish that I could just learn by osmosis. I wish that when I blew out the candles that ease and tranquility would just be.
And then, life.
Life doesn’t behave according to how I wish or how you do for that matter.
In this last week, I’ve had a chance to see some of the results of the Fort McMurray Fire first hand. What impressed me the most was the indiscriminate nature of the fire. This morning I noticed a large patch of burnt grass, and right in the middle, there was about a 3 metre by a 3-metre section of non-burnt, totally exposed, portion of brush. The inverse is true as well. There was no indication of fire anywhere and then there is a severely scorched patch right in the middle of nowhere.
When life hits the way, this Beast hit Fort McMurray we are left stymied. The, “Oh, how I wish!” can impale us if we are not careful. Our strong desire for ease, our fatigued longing for the better and plan-able grow an angst inside that, like fire, can totally get away on us.
So, what do we do? How do we get our equilibrium back?
1) Recognize that stuff happens. In the context of love and perfection, Jesus lets us know through scripture that we are normal. “…He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45b, NIV)
2) Recognize that God means to do you good. Romans 8:28 say’s that God works in your life if you turn your thoughts toward him because He’s working out a plan for you.
3) Rest in the fact that God’s got it. (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV) “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Now is an opportunity for real change. Instead of wishing, then wishing and wishing some more, hoping for something eluding, place your hope in God’s words.
Then you can begin to say, “I just know that we’re going to be okay!”
You Don’t Have To Live; You Get To!