Too Much to Handle - Part 2 . . .

Little did I realize earlier this week that when I wrote about trials, I would be called upon to heed my own counsel. It all happened yesterday afternoon about 2 PM. I received a call on my cell phone from a stranger informing me that my daughter, Kate was in an accident. The caller was quick to assure me that Kate was OK - but I will tell you that the fifteen minute drive to the accident scene seemed to take an eternity! When I finally arrived, my eyes took it all in ... police car, two ambulances, a crowd of people, a banged up SUV and Kate's once shiny now smashed Dodge Neon. I immediately jumped out of my car and rushed to Kate's side. She was lying on a back board while a pair of EMT's were examining her. She assured me that she was not badly hurt and was shortly loaded onto the ambulance for the trip to LGH. After exchanging info with the police officer who was investigating, I climbed back in my car and drove to the hospital. Once there, Kate went through a series of xrays and a CAT scan, all which came back negative. As of this writing, she is still in LGH for observation purposes. Hopefully she will come home no later than tomorrow (Saturday). But through it all, Sharon, Kate and I are experiencing the truth of the verse I quoted the other day, Isaiah 43:2 where God makes this promise to us, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." Thank God for His comforting presence!

Thanks for listening,

pj

Too Much Too Handle!

Last night a couple of lines of powerful thunderstorms marched across Lancaster. Loud rolling thunder, brief high wind gusts and torrential rainfall were par for these storms. At one point, I decided I had better go downstairs to check my basement. All was fine until I got to my back door. There I found some water seeping in. I opened the door and found a small pond just outside the door. The drain located there was working - but the rain was falling so fast that it could not keep up with the volume of water (at one point last night, we received an inch of rain in a 25 minute span - now that is some rain storm!). As soon as the rain let up, the drain was able to catch up, and the threat to my basement was over!

Life can often be like that. We get hit by some sort of unseen, unexpected crisis. It comes with such force we just don't see how we will ever survive. The circumstances are of such a magnitude that we are overwhelmed. At these points, is there any hope? Absolutely! For starters, just like my drain and the rain last night, usually even the most trying of life circumstances will eventually "let up." Trials come and trials go - but, except in a few cases, they rarely stay forever (and even if they do stay with us all of this life - that is NOT forever!). So all of us can find strength when facing difficulties by cultivating the attitude, "This too will pass." But even more important than this is the reality that whenever we suffer, we never suffer alone. God has promised us, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze" (Isaiah 43:2). So whenever we are going through it - even if we feel that we are soon to be overwhelmed and swept away - take heart, your God, the Creator of ALL is with you. You can count on HIM to get you through!

Thanks for listening,

pj

The "Hiccup Girl" No Mo! (a follow up to my Feb. 22 blog)

Finally, after five weeks of enduring an ongoing case of the hiccups, Jennifer Mee is now hiccup-free! After all the good old remidies said to stop the hiccups failed, and after numerous trips to a variety of specialists (including an infectious disease specialist, a neurologist, a chiropractor, a hypnotist and an acupuncturist - all of whom were left mystified as to how to help Jennifer) - the hiccups went away as mysteriously as they had arrived. It was just after waking up yesterday morning that Jennifer noticed that she was not hiccupping any more! Finally!!!

Trials we face in life are a lot like that. They come - often unexpected and unexplained. They tend to outstay their "welcome" (as if we ever gave them one!). And the vast majority of trials will eventually go away. Now, if you are like me, you don't like trials. Because it doesn't matter what shape a trial might take, I'd rather pass! But as much as I dislike trials, I have grown to appreciate them. Am I crazy? Out of my mind? Nope. I have come to realize that without trials in my life and the suffering they bring, I would not be the person I am. Trials are God's divine instruments through which he matures our faith and strengthens our character. That is why James tells us to "consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of various kinds." Why? Because as James points out trials produces perseverance in our lives which will adds in a huge way to our growth as Christians (See James 1:2-4 and Romans 5:3-5). So the next time you face a trial, a "hiccup" (or worse) in the pleasant flow of your life - rejoice. God is at work. And when you pray, don't ask God to remove the trial (because all you are doing is asking him to remove you from his divine classroom!). Rather ask God to help you through the trial, teaching you whatever it is that you need to learn!

Praying with you,

pj