If I’ve learned anything about life, it’s that things never go as planned 100 percent of the time. It’s life. We’re sinners born into a sinful world, doing all kinds of sinful things. It’s life.
The other day I came home to have dinner and edit some papers. I walked into the kitchen wearing socks and stepped on a puddle of juice. I took off my wet socks and let my feet feel the cool tile under me.
I began to investigate the problem. I opened the refrigerator, and cranberry juice had spilled in and out of the fridge.
“Oh, great,” I whispered. After spending 15 minutes cleaning with a grumbling stomach, I decided to make dinner, something quick. I decided to go the “frozen pizza” route. Nothing could go possibly wrong. Or so I thought.
I took the pizza out of the freezer, then out of the box. Holding the frozen pizza in one hand, I reached out to grab a plate with the other. Somehow I didn’t get a full grip on the plate, so it fell on the floor and shattered to pieces. Long story short, I had chips for dinner.
“Little” situations like these creep into my head in a matter of seconds and change my mood completely.
Why? I don’t have cancer. My family is healthy and alive. I have a job. I have gas to put in my car. I have food on my table. I have clothes on my back. Why is it that when little things happen we are so quick to forget about the blessings we have? Why is it that we break a fingernail at 8:00 a.m. and think about it until we go to bed that night?
When I was in elementary school, I used to run hurdles in track. I loved it. Don’t get me wrong, it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to learn, but it made me stronger nonetheless. Every jump was a struggle, a push, not only upward, but also forward. Toward the end of every race it would get harder to do the last ones, but the feeling that came from winning always made all the work worth it.
That’s how it is with our life and struggles. We are running the race of life at a consistent pace. Every so often, without fail, circumstances come our way. And although some seem bigger than others, God promises that He will never send anything that we can’t “jump over.” And even though sometimes the obstacles at the end seem bigger, they’re not.
Another important aspect of hurdling was the endurance I had by the end of the year. When summer came, I got to play soccer. I got better. My legs got stronger. My jumps got cleaner. My strides got longer. In the same way, we will get stronger.
God is changing us, molding us, giving us endurance to make us bigger, stronger, better, and ready for His palace. I’ve faced really rough patches in my life. I’ve endured some things I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I’ve been torn emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I’ve been let down, pushed aside, and crushed.
However, looking back, I am so blessed. I have learned lessons. I am stronger in Christ, and I understand why I had to go through what I went through.
Our current situation is temporary. But I know a God who’s not. He is forever, and there’s nothing we can do about it.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about life, it’s that things never go 100 percent as planned. It’s life. We are sinners, born into a sinful world, doing all kinds of sinful things. It’s life.
But it will get better. It already is. Take a deep breath and focus on the blessings, because He’s molding you. He’s molding me. We will never be the same.
Kati Britton serves as a communication assistant for Hope for Humanity in the North American Division.
