A Very Early Morning Interruption

It happened about 3:15 this morning. I was awakened by a strange chirp like sound. It lasted just a split second (as far as I could discern in my groggy semi-concsious state between sleep and wakefulness). I listened for the sound to repeat ... and not hearing anything, began to drift off to neverland. Suddenly out of the darkness the chirp once again pierced the silence. "Ah ha!" I thought to myself. "I think that was the smoke alarm."  Sure enough about three minutes later my suspicion was confirmed - it was the smoke alarm doing its occasional repetitive chirp, telling us that the battery needed replaced! "Yea! Why did this have to happen in the middle of the night vs. the middle of the day?" I asked myself as I stumbled half awake to locate a new battery and the step ladder. After about 5 minutes or so ... I had the project done and crawled back into bed (it was now pushing 4 AM). Fortunately I fell asleep rather quickly, not to be awakened until the music of the radio called me out of bed.

This little episode is a microcosm of life. Often we are cruising right along enjoying life and the blessings God sends our way when an interruption of some kind arrives. It may be something small (like a smoke alarm that needs a new battery) or it may be something far bigger (like the loss of a job or the loss of one's health). And just as I was not surprised that our bedroom's smoke alarm needed a new battery (I can't recall when I had replaced it ... I guess I had better put "Replace smoke alarm batteries" on my "To Do List."), we should not be surprised when painful interruptions crash into our lives. After all, we live in a world that is "temporarily out of order". The world in which we find ourselves is NOT the world God intended for us. But when our first parents rebelled against the creator, the creation itself was "subjected to frustration" and is now "in bondage to decay" (see Romans 8:20-21).  So what should we do when we encounter the difficulties of life?  God gives us the answer in the following passage from the book of James:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Certainly not easy to do ... but necessary to do! And remember, Christ followers "can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us" (Philippians 4:13).  And "ALL THINGS" includes considering pure joy when we encounter life's painful interruptions - no matter how painful!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj