Unprepared, Uncomfortable and Unshakeable

Unprepared, Uncomfortable and Unshakeable 

Do you ever have those days where your world's equilibrium is just...off?  With every turn another roadblock seems to get in your way, knocking you off course and making you uncomfortable?

A series of events caused me to be just that.  Uncomfortable.  I was unprepared for those roadblocks and as a result, I was uncomfortable.

It was an early morning in the desert known as "Sun City" and my husband and I were being escorted to the airport by my g-pops and g-ma.  All was well.  We eventually made our way through security and went through the whole shebang; shoes off, liquids and computers in the trays and our bags on the conveyer belt all ready to be scanned.

Beep beep!  Their scanners are alerted and I'm kindly asked to follow a lady to another part of the security area.

Great.

There was one thing I forgot to take out of my bag before coming on this trip: my personalized Swiss Army Knife that I bought in Switzerland several years ago.  How could I have forgotten!?! I take that knife with me just about everywhere I go, and hadn't even considered needing to take it out.  As a result I was escorted out of the security area and asked to either dispose of said knife or mail it to myself.  I chose the latter.  After, I was asked to go through security a second time, not one of my favorite things to do.  Shocking, I know.

The next day, we drive back home from Coeur d'Alene, completing our round trip adventure visiting family and enjoying weddings.  Home.  It was nice to be back and was looking forward to enjoying being home with my husband.

When we arrived at home I knew rent was due soon so I wrote a check, put it in an envelope and headed towards our landlords house to put in her door.  The dog was barking, apparently still unsure of who I was (although we had been there for nearly a month), so I approached her slowly and waited for her to calm down.  She did, and I walked passed her to put up my check.  Turning around and heading back towards our apartment, the dog snapped and jumped; scratching my left leg and then biting my right ankle.  Really?? I ran across the yard and shut the gate behind me.  Why?! I was now bleeding and in a good amount of pain.  I had never been "attacked" by a dog before, and right then I decided that being mauled by a bear would be a horrible way to die.  I cleaned my wounds, but was left bruised and uncomfortable.

These two stories, those seemingly have nothing to do with one another, reminded me of something.  That when all is "right" with my world, it is so much easier to be grateful and joyful.  I can easily praise God because my life is comfortable.  But when real life happens (annoying security inconveniences, being attacked my a dog...) and I get uncomfortable I become annoyed, impatient and do not feel like giving thanks to my God.

When I'm unprepared for life, I get uncomfortable as a result.

I like being comfortable.  I like convenience, fast internet and drive thru's.  I like having energy and enjoy life when it goes my way.  Because when I run into a road block, I become impatient, and unfriendly.  And I don't like that.

I don't want to assume I have everything together.  I don't want to get impatient when life doesn't go the way I anticipate.  I don't want to be grateful only when it's convenient.

But, in order to do achieve that I need help, and lots of it.

Jesus says in John 16:33, (the Message translation puts it perfectly), "I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace.  In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties.  But take heart!  I've overcome the world."

I will have imperfect, uncomfortable and impatient days.  But I don't have to conquer them myself, because honestly, I don't have the strength or the patience for that in and of myself.

So, I will continue to trust in my God as the source of my strength.  For he has overcome the world, and that is something to be thankful for.

Next time I'm unprepared and uncomfortable, I will be unshakeable in Christ alone.