Dumped On

There is no other way to say it. “This last week we got dumped on.” The Great Canadian North backed the truck up, filled the telescopic rod with hydraulic fluid and let ‘er’ go. Services stopped, vehicles were stuck, people were sent home, and the dig-out started and lasted all week. We had been prepped the week before with a practice run, but the alert for this last week somehow eluded us.
In my conservative opinion, small ‘c’ not to be confused with our political, which is our second or third favourite past-time, I think we got more snow in this last week than we did all last year. But, I’m no weatherman.
Life as we know it had to stop and alter its course. Some of my ‘usual’ got canceled, and that affected others and delayed their arriving home which rippled all the way down to the babysitter, who may have been cheering for the extra dollars; or, maybe not.
Things changed, babies were conceived, at least that is true from the last dump that happened here several years ago, and life had to reorient if only for a moment.
All that rearrangement, without apology, for gentle white snow that landed with a wallop.
What about you?
Have you ever been dumped on, I mean metaphorically speaking?
Have you ever had to alter, reorient, change, or stop life as it is to redirect?
Probably if you haven’t, you are barely old enough to read. If you have lived life in the real world, the chances are high that the telescopic rod has lifted and thrust its load your way.
So, what do you do when life unloads on you in a moment of time?
The first thing you’ll do is to stop. You’ll probably have to. Once you have picked up your shovel, snowblower, or backhoe, you begin to sort your way through the mess. But, when the mess keeps coming, that is when you will need to try a different tactic.
Take Job, pronounced ‘Jobe,’ for example. Here is a guy who has a book by his name contained within the Bible. He got dumped on. Just when he thought he had more than he could bear, the ‘B’ train unloaded.
Job handled his life and his tragedy with amazing patience and trust. You can catch this fantastic example and the message from this ancient stalwart of a man. Forty-two chapters, which is about thirty-six pages, maybe an hour and a half read, or two coffees will impact your life exponentially. Try and read it in one go; you’ll be glad you did.
Then, you can also catch some of my thoughts on this from Conflict #5 in my online book, Path Out – Eliminate the Swirl. Just follow the links.

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3) Peace How?

 

There is an extraordinary story tucked away in the Old Testament. It is found in 2 Kings 6:1-7. It is about Elisha and his company of prophets. They were out of room in their current facilities, so they decided to build another place for space.

While they were building it, one of the guys had his ax head fall into the water. I’m not sure if they were industry ‘Safe’ or if they were wearing all the appropriate PPE; but, that is what happened. This guy immediately started to freak out. His exact words, ““Oh no, my lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!”” (2 Kings 6:5, NIV.)

Elisha responded by asking where it had fallen. He then cut a stick and threw it into the water and made the ax head float. Elisha then told the guy to, “Lift it out.” The man reached out and took the ax head.

Why would that story be included? What would be the point? Are we all supposed to go and make an ax head float? I don’t think so rather I think that one of the principles here is that, ‘You have to go back to where you lost it.’

How does that apply to peace? Sometimes we can lose our peace almost as fast as we get it.

We go through the emotional roller coaster of getting to peace, or we pray and ask God for it, or we get others to pray and ask God for it. We finally get it and then before we know it, it’s gone again.

What do we do?

We need to go back to the moment of loss (again,) and acknowledge our need/loss to God, “God I’ve lost my peace again. Will you bring me your peace?” Eventually, the repeat visits start to lessen, and peace becomes the resident.

I have done these prayers innumerable times in many different circumstances. Peace comes.

Peace.

 

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