Everything is meaningless ,but not everybody is

By G.P. Avants

“Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people.”

                                            Titus 2:14

I am looking down at my wallet, well, the contents of my wallet, scattered on the sidewalk. I am already running late and this happens. Just to add a little more ‘bad luck’ to a rough start morning, my key ring is stuck to my backpack. When I pull them off the weak ring breaks and my five school keys are also lying on the sidewalk. Have you ever had a morning like this? 

It’s days like these when we might what King Solomon said. “Everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Burnt out and frustrated he saw life as pretty much pointless. 

We don’t get to choose what we inherit. Things are passed down to us physically, emotionally, and mentally that we might never choose for ourselves. It might be bad teeth, or thick legs, thinning hair, or irritable bowl syndrome, just to name a few things folks can pass down. 

I am not going to give you the running list of issues that my family lives with. I will however talk about what seems like a family curse, bad luck. I know Murphy made a law about it, but we seem bound by its statutes. 

If something can go wrong, it will go wrong. It can be missing keys or a disappearing wallet that threatens to drive us into despair. It’s not just a one-time event. It is wants to be a weekly or some cases daily, annoying companion. When you feel like everything you touch falls apart it’s not hard to see why people give up or stop trying. Why fight bad luck or trouble? You can’t escape from it no matter how much you prepare yourself. That can sink any person into a spiral of despair. 

I have tested this myself. Knowing that we have these issues I put my keys in the same place every day. I bought a heavy-duty case to put my phone in so it won’t get destroyed. I put my wallet in a special compartment in my backpack as part of my morning ritual. Somehow the one time I get distracted and don’t hang them up, the keys disappear. After a morning run, I transfer my phone from a running band meaning to put it right in my case. It lands in the watering can and goes dead. My wallet also finds ways not to get left out all the fun. It loves to fall between the seats or slide across and wedge in between objects, or in another passengers items. It obviously thinks I like playing hide-and-go-seek on a regular basis.

I have bear myself up for this. I tell myself I am not an idiot even though I feel branded as one. I have yelled at the devil and God in frustration. I have wanted to say forget this and not care anymore. Then a verse like this one pops up:

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

                                            James 1:12

I realize that I am a mess and I need help. I also come to the fact that God is using this as a door for Him to work in me. Maybe He knows that without this issue, I might be too sure of myself and not need that relationship.  I have found that instead of this being a weakness or a curse that maybe it’s an opportunity everyday to see why I need Jesus. Yes, it is so easy to get distracted from the truth in a busy, crazy world. A little bad luck might be what it takes to keep me grounded. Humility is a powerful thing. It’s the one thing that takes mighty Pride down.

Speaking of the ground, there are my items still scattered on the sidewalk and the five-minute bell has rung. It is the craziest thing, but a smile turns the corners of my mouth. The Lord is giving me peace and comfort while He helps me pick up the pieces. He may not take away my clutzy accident prone issues, but He will use them for helping me to trust Him more. 

Normal response? No, however when Jesus is working even the worst things become more than they were intended. 

Can I get an amen? 

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