|
Troubling My Trouble
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
The amount of time I spend thinking about my troubles and talking
about my troubles, reveals how truly troubling they are to the peace
in my life - peace of mind, peace of heart, peace of soul.
No one's life is ever peaceful all the time. We all experience
distressful, worrisome and difficult times. The point at which we
meet those experiences however, determines the depth to which they
trouble the deep abiding peace of knowing who we are, why we're here
and where we're going when this short life is over.
I used to meet my troubles at a point of contention. I'd
think, "Here we go again!" and start wrestling with the trouble of
the moment. Distressful thoughts would dominate my mind. Worry would
control my heart. My soul would know no rest. I gave trouble a
troubling role in my life.
I've learned to meet trouble at the point of my faith. If it's big
trouble, I admit that it has some wiggle room, but not for long. As
soon as I look over my shoulder and see all the goodness and mercy
that follows me all the days of my life, trouble starts to loose its
grip on my peace.
The trouble doesn't magically disappear. I still have to face it. I
still have to solve it or get through it. I don't, however, have to
let it consume me.
Trouble doesn't like that kind of stubborn mindset, heart-set and
soul-set. It likes to give me a shove in the direction of loneliness
or worthlessness or despair when I'm trodden down.
Trouble likes to make me think I'm going to lose my mind. It doesn't
like the rationale that, yes, times are tough, but I am tougher.
Yes, this is difficult, but I face nothing alone. God is always at
my side and I will get through this dark situation.
Trouble likes to make me believe my heart is permanently shattered.
It doesn't like the determination that, yes, my heart is broken, but
it will heal. I have old scars to prove it. Yes, I'm hurting and I'm
aching, but I am always loved and cherished by my Creator.
Trouble likes to make me feel like a lost soul. It doesn't like the
confident faith that I am a child of God, forever in His sight and
heaven bound.
It is detrimental to every aspect of my life when I give trouble
what it wants. When I feed its need I starve my mind, my heart and
my soul.
I've learned, and I'm still learning, how to be a thorn in trouble's
side. When my feet hit the floor in the morning, I want trouble to
tremble. Every time it comes my way, I want to meet trouble at the
point of my faith - face to face. I want trouble to know it can bend
me but it cannot break me. It can knock me down but it can't take me
out. It can storm through my life with a gale force wind, but once
it has passed, I will still be there - standing.
During the peaceful times in my life, I'm troubling to my trouble. I
look back on the places it 'got me' and I strengthen my faith in
those areas. Now, when trouble comes calling, I don't call everyone
I know and give a blow-by-blow account of its visit. I call on my
faith to carry me through.
I'm troubling my trouble when I'm concerned in its presence, but not
cowering or shivering or shaking.
I'm troubling my trouble when the light at the end of a dark
situation is nowhere in sight, but I believe with all my heart that
it exists and I'm going to reach it.
I am a work in progress, and one of the areas I've made strides, is
the area of trouble. It's going to come. It always does. I can't
avoid it. I don't, however, spend time dreading it. I spend time
troubling it.
Without the unhealthy fear and dread of trouble present and trouble
to come, I can experience healthy emotions - a good cleansing cry -
soul-felt grief - appropriate anger - spontaneous laughter.
I like troubling my trouble!
|
