Hangnail
If you’ve ever had a hangnail, you know they are hard to ignore. The hangnail catches on every little thing. But since it’s a seemingly small aggravation, you forget about it….until a few dozen seconds later it catches on something again.
The small annoyance quickly builds up to a large bother. Soon you stop what you’re doing to get rid of the hangnail. This everyday aggravation is my word picture for a much bigger phenomenon that I’m presently encountering in my life.
In the space of a couple of weeks I’ve learned of the unexpected death of a 35 year old, a child nearly abducted from a school near my home, and an attempted kidnapping at a mega-store not 40 miles from where I live. Like a hangnail, I can’t ignore these signs of society’s decline.
Unlike a hangnail, the implications are much larger.
So is hand-wringing or despair the only answer?
Would you believe me if I told you I feel privileged? Do you want me committed to the insane asylum now or later?
I am not in any way minimizing the pain, fear and loss of those directly affected by the above incidents. Their lives have been rearranged without their say so. Some repercussions will remain with them forever. Even when the situation turned out “well”, the remaining fear can be paralyzing.
I sit geographically close to the above events, but still far enough away to feel relatively safe. Thus, while unsettled, I’m taking the time to reconsider of the bedrock beliefs of my life before something else happens, maybe this time to me. Here are some of those beliefs:
The days of my life are numbered…and since I don’t know the number, I therefore choose not to stress myself over when or how my life will end.
My God is sovereign and watches over me with the tenderness of a parent.
Even when the undesired happens, God’s power can be displayed through the situation and how I choose to react.
I am one tiny moving piece in a much bigger drama. God has revealed the ultimate outcome of that theater masterpiece. I can relax in knowing the final outcome will be good.
The bedrock of God’s word is why I feel privileged. So when I feel insecure, trapped or terrified, I turn to the pages of God’s word to once again regain a vision of where the world is going and a vision of my little place in it. We are told that in the end days, “the love of many shall grow cold.” We are also told, “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7
God does indeed have a plan for how this world will come to an end. It is winding down, not improving. The good news, is that you can still face that sobering reality with confidence. May I invite you to make a study of God’s plan?
May your heart may be soothed beyond belief as you see the grand themes of restoration and wholeness unfold through the pages of God’s word. It may take a while for the story to take hold in your heart, but the wait will be worth it.
Photo by Flora Westbrook from Pexels