Every one of us has been there – you wake up one day and realize that the situation you are in is the last place on earth you’d like to be. You remember back in 3rd grade and realize that your life looks nothing like it was supposed to. And worst of all you can see how you got to where you are at, but you feel utterly powerless to change it.

The fact that your life took a dump isn’t really a surprise. Lives do that sometimes. The surprise is that you thought it should be another way, other than it is. You try to tell yourself that these kinds of situations happen to other people, but not to you.

Where did we learn life wasn’t supposed to dump on us? You might be contemplating bankruptcy, or your marriage is all but dead. You might be hanging on a string at work, worried when that pink slip is coming. You might be terrified to go into your teenager’s room for fear what you might find there. All you know is that life shouldn’t be this way. And you’d do just about anything to stop it. Let me just say one word – don’t. Don’t stop the tough turns that life takes, because sooner or later, bad things will happen to all of us. I’m not trying to be overly morbid, but there is a balance to life, and if you have had a lot of good in your life, there is bound to be some bad come down the pipe to you sooner or later. And when it does, don’t change it. Don’t try to escape it; instead, let it teach you – learn from it.

Sooner or later there is a basic truth to the universe that all of us must face. It is the foundational fact that someday things are not going to go right. For some of us, those days might get all backed up, and come at us all at once. And we feel completely overwhelmed by a life we didn’t sign up for. For others of us, little annoyances will begin to plague us, needling us in the conscience, wearing us down. Don’t be surprised – you are being human. It’s what happens to humans, at least the ones that are alive.

When trouble hits, maybe the big question of “what do I do to get out of this?” should be changed to “what can I learn from this, and how can I grow?” There are a series of questions that one must answer at the dumpy times;

1. Could I confront my thought process that tells me life shouldn’t be the way it is? How could I challenge my own way of thinking today?
2. What could I learn from this situation? I can’t change the fact that I am here. What could God be trying to help me see?
3. What would I like life to look like, and are there any things I could do to move my life in that direction?
4. Could I, or would I be willing to rest in this season, even if I don’t like it? Could I trust in God’s love even if I don’t sense it on any level?
5. Am I willing to follow my Father’s voice even if I don’t see where it is going or why?

Life may not always be a happy thing. In fact, there might be whole seasons where it just plain sucks. That doesn’t mean that God has given up on you, or that he has abandoned you. It doesn’t mean that you are doing something wrong or you have grave sin in your life. It means that you are in a season that sucks. That’s it. So surrender your desire to change it, and aim toward finding a peace that says to God “I don’t like this situation, but I love you. And if this is where I am, I will trust that you see, know, and understand. I choose to believe you will be with me in it, and lead me out of it should there ever be an end.”

So enjoy the journey as best you can. Even the cruddy parts. Because we only get one shot at the game of life.

© 2007 Mike and Laura Ege, OutsideEdgeCoaching.com

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