In younger days, I was full of vinegar.  Like Will and Ned in Unforgiven.  Now, I like vinegar, but it’s strong, and it doesn’t go with everything.  Like me, when I was young. It’s not the easiest thing to find your place in the world, but we are doomed to wander until we do.  Coming to terms is difficult and draining. It takes a lot out of us. Life rounds our rough edges. We may not become mellow, but we become less tart and acidic.

Pain levels.  Hurtful episodes teach us (if we let them) to be less extreme and more even-handed.  It’s been said that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, but that may not be the case if it maims.  To ride out a storm and survive to tell the story is no small feat. No one should wish a tempest on another, but such difficulties have their places in our lives.  Dr. L.C. Johnson used to say, “A calm sea never made a skillful sailor.”

Modern-day believers will shake their heads at the faithless disciples fearing when Jesus was with them and sleeping while He prayed.  Truthfully, I don’t think we are better than they. I know I’m not. Sometimes, I cringe in fear when faith should fill my view. It’s not that I don’t believe- it’s that my life has been filled with failures and setbacks.  I’ve been hurt, and, to quote the Barn, “Anxiety magnifies fearsome objects.”

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, and I’ve taken a lot of hits.  Because I get hit a lot, I get knocked down a lot. That’s what happens to fighters.  The compilation of blows weakens them. But, when I get knocked down, I get up. I don’t know when I learned it, but I am convinced that resilience is the key to survival in the physical and spiritual struggles of life.  In time, the cobwebs clear,and the fight continues.

It’s been harder for me to overcome shots in my foot than to dodge bullets, but I’ve done both.  As a matter of fact, some of the hurt I’ve learned to take well. Still, some aches will never really be gone, and Satan visits me often with remembrances.  Many times, I’ve had to convince myself that what I claimed was past is really past. However, as real as the past is the presence of God. His perfect love casts out fear.

Sail on, sailor.  Trouble is part of living.  God uses even negative occurrences for His glory and our good.  He means for you to have a beautiful life. It will not be perfect, but it will be beautiful when flaws are covered by grace and used in God’s plan.  Life will be smoother and sweeter when the trials are over, and you have learned the lessons of obedience and endurance. One day, we will be changed, complete and thankful.

Sterl