Life is Hard. God is Good

     Life is hard.  Sometimes things happen that are beyond our control.  How do we respond?  Death and change are difficult.  We are suddenly hurled into something we don’t want to think about right now and forced into decisions we would rather not make.  Some of us may vent our feelings or appreciate a shoulder to cry on.  Then there are some of us who would much rather like to be alone or wish we could just run away from it all—stick our head in a hole or move to Montana.  I’m learning that running isn’t always the best option and sometimes confiding in a person I trust can be good—even when it seems to be going against my nature. 

     A walk through a dew laden pasture on a quiet misty morning pursuing an exuberant pony caused me to stop and think.  As I pondered and fumed over my predicament with halter in hand and horses about a quarter mile away, I began to think how much better it would be if they would just stay and wait for me.  It just created more problems for them and me when they ran away.  Once again, the horses appeared through the early morning fog, and God seemed to be using the “innocent” face of that pony staring warily at me to point at my own life.  “You know you can’t really run away, just like the pony can’t because of the fence around this pasture.  You want to be free and run away from what you think are problems, when really they are my tools to make you into who I want you to be.  It will just create more problems for you and those around you if you try to run away.”  I sighed with relief and smiled with satisfaction as the pony approached me, licking and chewing.  The pony stepped lightly after me as we now walked together towards home.

     As I write this, I am reminded of Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God…”  Leaving is not always the solution to our problems, unless it’s at the direction of God.  If we trust in the Lord, He will give us the courage, strength, patience, endurance, and peace to face the challenges of life and make us more like Christ.  Life is hard, but God is good.